Jagannath Temple to create bio bubble for Rath Yatra

Three Maharana servitors and five Bhoi servitors of the 88 servitors have tested positive while constructing the three chariots on the Grand Road of Puri, said officials of Sri Jagannath Temple Administration

Published on: May 21, 2021, 17:53:49 IST

By Debabrata Mohanty

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With 8 servitors engaged in construction work of chariots for upcoming Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Puri, Odisha, testing positive for Covid-19, the Jagannath temple administration has decided to create a bio bubble around them to prevent any further infection.

Rath construction in progress. (Photo: Sourced)

Three Maharana servitors and five Bhoi servitors of the 88 servitors have tested positive while constructing the three chariots on the Grand Road of Puri, said officials of Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA).

“As the Rath Yatra is still a few weeks away, we don’t want more servitors to be infected and so they would function within a bio bubble. No mediapersons will be allowed near them during construction. They will be in isolation till the construction is over,” said SJTA chief administrator Dr Krishan Kumar.

Also Read | Jagannath temple shut for public till June 15 as Covid-19 cases surge

The chariot construction work began on the auspicious occasion of Akshaya Tritiya on May 15 this year. The Rath Yatra is scheduled on July 12.

The SJTA is also speeding up vaccination of servitors in the 18-44 age group ahead of the yatra, aiming to cover 4,300 servitors within 15 days.

Like last year, the Rath Yatra this year may be conducted without devotees with the necessary Covid protocol in place.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Debabrata Mohanty
Debabrata Mohanty is a senior assistant editor of Hindustan Times who works as state correspondent from Odisha covering the state's politics, governance, public policy, natural disasters, environment and its society for close to three decades. With his long years of reporting from the state capital of Bhubaneswar, Mohanty has been known as one of the most experienced and credible journalists covering Odisha for the national English dailies. His reporting combines on-ground detail with deep institutional knowledge detailing the state's changing politics, governance issues, administrative reforms and the functioning of its public institutions. He has regularly reported on issues ranging from legislative developments and public policy implementation. Politics is his core areas of expertise as he closely tracks Odisha's political landscape, including the rise and transformation of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Biju Janata Dal (BJD), the two principal political parties in Odisha. His long association with the state's political establishment enables him to write on contemporary developments in a larger political context. Mohanty takes a deep interest in writing human interest stories, environmental issues and documenting the impact of cyclones, floods, heatwaves, and other climate-related events in one of the most disaster-prone states. His coverage extends to public health, governance reforms and stories on accountability of government institutions. Before joining Hindustan Times, Mohanty worked with The Indian Express, Mail Today, and The Telegraph, where he covered at least six general elections and as many assembly elections. In 2007, he was selected for the prestigious Chevening Young Indian Print Journalist Programme at the University of Lincoln, United Kingdom, where he received advanced training in print journalism. In 2009 he won the Press Institute of India-International Committee of Red Cross award on conflict reporting for his on-ground reportage of 2008 Kandhamal riots.Read More

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