Buzz missing in shrines other than Puri

BHUBANESWAR: Even as the Jagannath Temple in Puri is abuzz with activities for the annual Rath Yatra, for the rest of the shrines across the state devoted to the sibling deities, there is a sense of melancholy.
With devotees barred from taking part in the festivities owing to the Covid situation for the second successive year and the Supreme Court upholding the state government’s ban on conducting the Rath Yatra anywhere other than Puri, the temples across the state are staring at emptiness.
While some temples have decided to make alternative arrangements and hold a symbolic Rath Yatra within their premises, most will obey the orders and skip the grand festival this year too.
“It is a terrible feeling. This year Sabara Srikeshtra would have celebrated 50 years of Rath Yatra. Interestingly, in 1972, the festival had fallen on July 12 and this year, too, it is on the same date. But unfortunately, the festival will be devoid of the devotees,” said Deepak Kumar Mishra, a servitor of Jagannath Temple in Koraput, known as Sabara Srikeshtra.
He added that the temple has built a temporary Adapa mandapa where the deities will be shifted for the nine-day festival and all rituals will be observed. “There are special rituals for the nine days, which will be conducted inside the temple, and no devotee will be allowed in,” Mishra said.
Other major shrines like the Sri Hari Baladev Jew temple in Baripada and the Baladevjew temples in Keonjhar and Kendrapada would also miss the festive fervour.
“Owing to the Covid-19 situation, we decided to conduct the Rath Yatra rituals on the temple premises going by the government guidelines. We have also not built a chariot this year for the Rath Yatra. The rituals will be conducted in a formal manner,” said Balabhadra Patri, the executive officer of the Baladevjew temple.
“Priests of the temple are in deep trouble after the government stopped the Rath Yatra. It is the main source of our income as many devotees attend it,” said Sarat Suar, a temple priest.
Priests of the Hari Baladev Jew temple in Baripda went to meet Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, the Puri Sankaracharya, to seek his opinion on the rituals. “The rituals in our temples are carried out as per the ones followed in the Puri Jagannath Temple. But since the Rath Yatra will not be held here, we wanted to consult Swamiji about how to go about it,” said Pradeep Kumar Panda, priest of the temple. The construction ofthe chariots in Baripada was stopped midway after the government announced a ban.
(With inputs from Ashis Senapati)