Homeopathy dose for Rath Yatra servitors

PURI: Leaving nothing to chance, the Sri Jagannath Temple administration had decided to provide immunity boosting homeopathic medicines to all servitors who have been chosen to conduct the Rath Yatra rituals on June 23.

Temple administrator AK Jena said a five-day health camp will be organised here from Tuesday where a health team from Puri-based Research Institute of Homepathy, a Government-run institution, will provide the medicines to the servitors.

While on Tuesday, the drug would be given to 74 Daitas, 345 Pratiharis will be covered on Wednesday and 600 Suaras and Mahasuaras on Thursday. Similarly, 154 Pujapandas would be given the medicine on Saturday, Jena informed.

The servitors, who have already undergone Covid-19 test and found negative, have been asked to follow all safety measures including maintaining social distancing norms.

Earlier, coronavirus tests were conducted on 200 carpenters and other servitors involved in construction of three chariots and all were found negative.

Meanwhile, a cartoon showing Lord Jagannath, Devi Subhadra and Lord Balabhadra sleeping on a bed covered in blankets and with thermometers in their mouths that went viral on social media, has not gone down well with servitors of the Srimandir.

The cartoon depicts plight of the Trinity in Anasar Ghara after the grand bath on Snana Purnima.
Member of temple managing body Ramachandra Dasmahapatra said since the Trinity is the most revered deities of Odias, one should not commit the sin of depicting the deities in such a manner.

He urged people to refrain from such “misadventures” and requested the Srimandir authorities to initiate action against the person who drew the cartoon.