Devotee-less Rath Yatra begins in Odisha's Puri

Rath Yatra is being held in Puri without devotees for the second year in a row. In order to prevent crowding, the district administration imposed a curfew from 8 PM on Sunday for two days.

Puri:The historic Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath has begun in Odisha's Puri. In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, devotees are not allowed to participate in the festival. The Yatra celebrates the annual journey of Lord Jagannath and his two siblings from the 12th-century Jagannath Temple to Gundicha Temple, their aunt's home, some 2.5 kilometres away.

Rath Yatra is being held in Puri without devotees for the second year in a row. The Administrator of Puri Jagannath Temple, Ajaya Jena had said that 3000 'sevayat' (servitors) and 1000 temple officials who have received vaccine shots and test negative for Covid-19 will be allowed to perform all rituals. In order to prevent crowding, the district administration imposed a curfew from 8 PM on Sunday for two days, as per official sources.

Puri district collector Samarth Verma said people can witness the festival on their TV sets as the government has made arrangements to give free of cost feed to different channels and web portals. All activities except medical emergencies are prohibited through the 3 kilometres long Grand Road from Jagannath Temple to Gunducha Temple. 65 platoons have been deployed for the smooth conduct of the festival.

Security forces are also deployed on roof-tops to prevent devotees from congregating in large numbers to witness the festival from residential houses, hotels, lodges and guest houses. Jagadguru Sankaracharya of Puri Govardhan Peeth, Swami Nischalananda Saraswati have been invited formally by the chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Krishan Kumar to visit the Lords on chariots as per tradition.

While Director General of Police, Abhay reviewed the security arrangements, three chariots Lord Balabhadras Taladwaja, Lord Jagannaths Nadighosh and Devi Subhadras Darpadalan have been readied. Chariot pulling is scheduled from 3 pm after Puri king, Gajapati Maharaja Divyasngha Deb perform the rituals of Chhera Pahra (sweeping of chariot). Sibling deities procession will begin from 8 am, as per official sources. Ahead of the festival, about 8,000 people including servitors, security guards, SJTA officials, district administration officials, media persons and others have undergone RT-PCR test.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday greeted people on the occasion of Rath Yatra. "Greetings to everyone on the special occasion of the Rath Yatra. We bow to Lord Jagannath and pray that his blessings bring good health and prosperity in everyone's lives. Jai Jagannath," Modi said in a tweet.

President Ram Nath Kovind greeted citizens on the occasion of Rath Yatra and prayed that Lord Jagannath would bring them happiness, prosperity and health. "My warm greetings and best wishes to all the countrymen, especially all the devotees in Odisha, on the auspicious occasion of the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath. I wish that with the blessings of Lord Jagannath, the lives of all the countrymen remain full of happiness, prosperity and health," tweeted Rashtrapati Bhavan.