Bhubaneswar: With mutts razed, no more Rath from rooftop

BHUBANESWAR: Till 2019, the rooftops of Emar, Bada Chhata, Bada Akhada, Languli and Bagadia mutts among a few others were the perfect vantage points for devotees to watch the proceedings of Rath Yatra.
Following their demolitions in the last two years for execution of the Jagannath heritage corridor project, not a single prominent viewpoint is available near the temple from where devotees can watch Rath Yatra.
Though hundreds of buildings still exist on both sides of the three-km Grand Road where the chariots roll every year, the erstwhile mutts that once stood adjacent the temple were the most sought-after places for devotees to watch Rath Yatra rituals very closely.
Not just devotees, many VVIPs used to buy tickets from functionaries of different mutts to occupy seats to watch the Rath Yatra. Sources said the rooftops of the mutts had been accommodating about 60,000 people, who used to purchase a ticket ranging from Rs 2,000 to Rs 5,000.
“Now, we cannot watch the rituals including, Pahandi, when the deities are brought from the sanctum sanctorum to the chariots in a grand procession from a close range. The buildings and rooftops existing on the Grand Road are far from the temple and can only serve the purpose of watching the chariots being pulled by devotees. We will miss the direct view of rituals before chariot pulling,” said Pradyumna Samantaray, a devotee.
Many dignitaries are unlikely to have a close view of Rath Yatra this time as the rooftop of a building, owned by the state information and public relations department, from where they used to watch the rituals has been demolished to pave the way for the heritage corridor project.