Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind on Monday extended their greetings to the people of the country on the occasion of Lord Jagannath's Rath Yatra in Puri.
Taking to Twitter, PM Modi posted, "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!"
President Ram Nath Kovind posted a message on Twitter and said he wished for the happiness and good health of the people of the country on the blessings of Lord Jagannath.
Rath Yatra, or the chariot festival, is an annual festival associated with Lords Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra and is being held in Odisha's coastal town Puri for centuries in July. This year, the Odisha government announced the Rath Yatra would commence on July 12.
{{/usCountry}}Rath Yatra, or the chariot festival, is an annual festival associated with Lords Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra and is being held in Odisha's coastal town Puri for centuries in July. This year, the Odisha government announced the Rath Yatra would commence on July 12.
{{/usCountry}}However, similar to the previous year the Rath Yatra is being celebrated without the participation of devotees, along with strict adherence to coronavirus disease-induced protocols with an aim to check the spread of the viral disease.
The administration at Puri's Jagannath temple said around 3,000 servitors and 1,000 temple officials was allowed to carry out the rituals involved with the Rath Yatra after RT-PCR tests were conducted on them.
The Supreme Court had last week refused to allow the Rath Yatra in other cities of Odisha, apart from Puri, and observed that the people should worship at home at a time when India is battling a deadly pandemic.