Devotees likely to be barred from Rath Yatra in Puri

BHUBANESWAR: The state government's decision on Monday to extend the ban on religious congregations and keep the places of worship shut till June 30 strongly indicates that this year's Rath Yatra in Puri scheduled on June 23 is likely to be observed without the participation of devotees.
An official order on restriction of devotees is likely to be issued by the state government later this week. "Since religious congregations will continue to remain prohibited in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic till June 30, chances of participation of devotees in the Rath Yatra appears remote. We expect a formal order from the law department in the next few days," a senior temple official said.
As Lord Jagannath and Rath Yatra are linked to the emotions of countless devotees, chief minister Naveen Patnaik and Puri king Dibyasingha Deb are likely to make an appeal to devotees soon to cooperate with the government in the smooth conduct of the car festival in a controlled and restricted manner amid Covid-19 scare.
In view of the alarming rise in the number of Covid-19 positive cases in the state, the Jagannath temple managing committee on Saturday proposed to the state government to host the annual Rath Yatra by banning the presence of devotees on Grand Road, where the iconic chariots with gods Jagannath, Balabhadra and goddess Subhadra roll from Jagannath temple to Gundicha temple during the festival.
The committee said all the rituals of Rath Yatra will be performed inside the temple and aboard the chariots outside the shrine by a limited number of servitors. The committee suggested that the chariots be pulled by police and the entry points of Puri sealed to prevent the access of pilgrims to the Grand Road.
Jagannath temple's chief administrator Krishan Kumar on Monday held a discussion with several servitors in Puri to draw the roadmap for smooth conduct of Debasnan Purnima on June 5 and the Rath Yatra. "We expect a decision on Rath Yatra by the government very soon. Several servitors, who will perform Debasnan Purnima rituals, have undergone Covid-19 test. Devotees will not be allowed to enter the temple nor congregate on Grand Road to watch Debasnan Purnima rituals. They can watch the festival live on television," Kumar said.