Puri Ratha Yatra halted after 285 years, temple priests and opposition blame Patnaik govt

Odisha CM Naveen Patnaik has decided not to appeal the SC order cancelling the Rath Yatra

The Supreme Court’s decision, to not allow the annual Rath Yatra next week due to the coronavirus pandemic, has drawn flak from priests of the temple as well as opposition leaders, who slammed the State government over its alleged half-hearted approach in the apex court.

Puri residents protest against the government, following Supreme Court's decision to cancel Rath Yatra this year, in the wake of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.(PTI Photo)

Following a petition filed by an NGO called Odisha Vikash Parishad, a three-judge SC bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde said it would not be appropriate to hold the Rath Yatra this year.

“It is not disputed that the number of people that are likely to gather for the annual Rath Yatra scheduled to be held on June 23 is going to be about 10 to 12 lakhs. Having regard to the danger presented by such a large gathering of people for the Rath Yatra, we consider it appropriate in the interests of public health and safety of citizens, who are devotees, to restrain the government from holding the Rath Yatra this year,” the three-judge bench said.

This is the first time after 285 years that the Rath Yatra would not be held. The last time the car festival could not be held was between 1733 and 1735 when Mohammed Taqi Khan, deputy governor of Odisha, attacked the Jagannath temple, forcing the shifting of the idols to Ganjam district.

Senior lawyer Harish Salve, appearing for Odisha, submitted that the conduct of the festival might lead to a huge public gathering and a law and order situation, but he never mentioned any alternative way to pull the chariots. The Orissa High Court last week advised the state government to consider holding the Rath Yatra with elephants or machines, instead of humans, pulling the chariots. But this suggestion did not figure during the deliberations in the apex court.

The state cabinet headed by CM Naveen Patnaik this evening decided that it will abide by the order given by the Supreme Court on the Rath Yatra.

The SC order and the state Cabinet decision, left not just millions of devotees fuming, but the priests shocked.

Senior servitor Binayak Das Mohapatra alleged that a conspiracy was being hatched against the Rath Yatra. “All preparations for the centuries-old annual festival have been wasted. It was an elaborate drama by the state government to hoodwink the devotees. What had not happened in the last 5 centuries became a reality today. The PIL was a state-sponsored act to not let the festival happen,” he alleged.

Similarly, chief priest of the temple and head of Chhatisa Nijoga, Janardhan Pattajoshi Mohapatra said that the car festival and Lord Jagannath were inseparable.

“The Rath Yatra is an integral and intrinsic part of the life of Shri Jagannath since thousands of years ago. The Rath Yatra and Sri Jagannath are inseparable and one must not mistake the annual 9-day festival as a mere festive procession that can be cancelled or postponed,” said Mohapatra.

He added that the Yatra could have re-instilled the faith of billions of people praying to Sri Jagannath for wellbeing during the time of pandemic had it been allowed to be held on a limited basis like other commercial activities.

“Total curfew can be imposed in the entire Puri city two days before the yatra and only policemen be utilised for pulling the chariots,” he insisted.

Puri king Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb, chairman of Jagannath Temple Managing Committee, too, expressed his disappointment and said that the temple managing committee meeting will be held soon to discuss the Supreme Court’s order.

“We will seek the opinion of Sankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati on this matter. Whether Rath Yatra can be held inside the temple in a symbolic manner or not, will be examined,” he said.

Leader of opposition (LoP) in Odisha assembly, Pradipta Naik blamed the Odisha government for not taking a timely decision on the matter after centre left the decision on the issue to the state.

“The matter should never have landed in court. It is an emotional issue for 4.5 crore people of Odisha and the state government should have found a way out to hold the festival,” he said.

Incidentally, all preparations for the Rath Yatra next week were on track with the last minute work on the three chariots almost getting over. The servitors associated with the event had been tested for Covid-19 and had been put on isolation for over a month to ensure there was no risk of the virus spreading.

Early this month, the temple administration had successfully conducted the Snana Purnima, the ritualistic bathing of the three deities before Rath Yatra without the presence of any devotees.

In the last 425 years of the car festival, the event has been scrapped 32 times, mostly during invasion.

“It was scrapped for the first time in 1568 when Kala Pahad alias Kala Chand Roy, a general of Bengal king Suleiman Kirrani attacked the temple and pillaged the deities. For the next 9 years, Rath Yatra could not be held,” said Jagannath temple historian Bhaskar Mishra.