Cloud over Puri Rath Yatra, Odisha government to decide soon

Debabrata Mohapatra | TNN | Apr 16, 2020, 12:25 IST

This year, the world famous Rath Yatra of Jagannath temple is scheduled to be held on June 23 (File photo)

BHUBANESWAR: The state government on Wednesday said that it would soon take a decision on whether to hold Puri Rath Yatra this year, given the unprecedented crisis caused by Covid-19 pandemic.
This year, the world famous Rath Yatra of Jagannath temple is scheduled to be held on June 23. The state government had earlier cancelled Rukuna Rath Yatra of Lingaraj Temple in Bhubaneswar, which was to be held on April 1, due to the lockdown.
“We have already started discussing ht matter with concerned stakeholders, including Puri Shankaracharya, Gajapati Maharaj Dibyasingha Deb, Puri temple administration and servitors. The government will very soon take a decision whether or not to celebrate Rath Yatra,” state law minister Pratap Jena said on Wednesday.
Every year, preparations for the mega festival normally start two months in advance. With district officials busy in lockdown enforcement and Covid-19 management, preparations for Rath Yatra are yet to take off. “We will act according to the situation. At present, our priority is to check the possible spread of the deadly virus,” Puri district collector and temple’s deputy chief administrator Balwant Singh said.
Notably, the timber required for construction of chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra has already been supplied by the forest department to Puri. Construction of chariots is scheduled to start on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya on April 26. “We wonder how the carpenters would maintain social distance during construction of chariots. Over 80 carpenters are usually engaged in the chariot making exercise and they are bound to work in close proximity near the wooden logs,” a temple official said.
Temple servitors and travel professionals expressed apprehension saying that the state’s most crowd-pulling festival at Puri may be a low key affair this time. “We expect to see celebration of Chandan Yatra of the temple on April 26 without participation of devotees. Rath Yatra should not be stopped. If Covid-19 situation does not improve, the government should allow conduct of Rath Yatra amid strict restrictions,” senior servitor Binayak Dasmohapatra said.
Over 6 lakh devotees from the country and abroad visit Puri during Rath Yatra every year. Most of them plan their tours in advance. Hoteliers said they usually receive bookings from tourists at least two months before the Rath Yatra. “By this time we would have started receiving queries about availability of rooms in hotels. But, we have been asked by the district administration to not entertain any bookings for indefinite period,” Debasis Kumar, owner of Hotel Victoria Club. Last year, the district administration had pulled out all odds in the aftermath of Cyclone Fani that devastated Puri in May and successfully conducted Rath Yatra on July 4.