Bhubaneswar: June 10: Like earlier year, this year also, Annual RathYatra Festival of Trinity will be held without Public Participation. Odisha SRC and Development Commissioner Pradeep Jena made announcement regarding this. He said, this year’s RathYatra at Puri which begins from July 12 this year, will be held with strict adherence to guidelines laid out by Supreme Court and the Odisha Government in 2020.
Government of Odisha decided to ban the annual RathYatra festival at all places in the State except Puri. Other Jagannath Temples in the State can only observe rituals in the temple premises without any celebration. As said by SRC, this decision has been taken keeping in view of the Covid situation in the State.
Last year also, this great festival associated with Lord Jagannath, was held without the participation of devotees. This happened for the first time in its centuries-long history.
SRC said, ‘Though daily cases in the State have been declining day by day, but now Odisha has been reporting over 6000 cases a day. So, we are still fighting with the second wave of Covid-19’. Also, some of the experts have opined to get prepare for the third wave. In this situation, for the interest of Public, Government has decided to ban Rath Yatra at all the places except Puri.
He further said, Servitors with Covid negative (RTPCR Test Report) or those fully vaccinated will be allowed to participate in the rituals. 500 people will be allowed to pull each chariot during the festival, as per the Supreme Court’s guidelines.
