Rath Yatra at Dwitiya Srikhetra uncertain

BARIPADA: As the Covid lockdown gets a further extension, the celebration of the 13-day Rath Yatra at Haribaldev Jew Temple or the Dwitiya Srikhetra in Baripada remains clouded in uncertainty.

The car festival is scheduled to be held on June 23. With chariot construction halted due to the lockdown restrictions, and no update on the festival from the district administration or the Government, the second most popular Rath Yatra in State is caught in a limbo.

Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, the Ratha Mohapatra (chief carpenter), said this year, all rituals including ‘Ashok Jhari’ were performed inside the temple premises. No ritual was performed at Ratha Khala on the Grand Road except ‘Aksha re Chaka Lagi’, which is performed on Akshaya Tritiya festival. Since then, there has been no progress.

According to Mohapatra, the 33 persons engaged in chariot construction have managed to complete only 10 per cent of the work.  It will take another month to replace the old wheels which are no longer fit to use and shortage of timber has only added to the stalemate, said Mohapatra.

If he does not receive any information regarding work on the chariots in the next two days, it might not be possible to complete the construction on time, he added.

Meanwhile, Sub Collector Basanta Kumar Sethi said he is waiting for the State Government to issue guidelines in this regard. If the Government grants permission for the Rath Yatra, ‘Maharanas’ or carpenters will be encouraged to put in extra hours of work, he said.

The car festival here is known for its unique and exclusive tradition of women devotees pulling Devi Subhadra’s chariot.