COVID-19 effect: River ghats in Odisha miss boats, festivity of Kartik Purnima

BHUBANESWAR: After ruining Dussehra and Diwali festivals, the COVID-19 pandemic also marred the Kartik Purnima celebrations across the State preventing people from taking holy bath or sailing miniature boats (boita) in ponds and rivers on Monday morning. 

People mostly remained indoors and avoided mass gathering at river ghats.

All major ghats, ponds and river banks wore deserted look in the morning as the government had prohibited any kind of gathering near water bodies on Kartik Purnima in view of the pandemic.

Temples also remained out of bound for the devotees. 

In pilgrim town Puri, the district administration deployed police personnel to prevent mass bathing at Indradyumna, Markanda, Narendra, Swetha Ganga and Mahodadhi ponds while Boita Bandana ritual was also banned at these ponds, known as Pancha Tirtha, to prevent mass gathering.

All rituals in Srimandir, however, were performed as per schedule. 

Congregation was also banned at the heritage pond Bindu Sagar and other water bodies in the State Capital. Police were deployed at major water bodies and Lingaraj temple in Old Town to prevent gathering. 

Some people, however, were seen flouting the government order and sailing miniature boats at Puri beach, Daya river bank in Bhubaneswar and other places.

The famous Baliyatra in Cuttack that usually kick starts from this day was also cancelled this year.