E-Paper
Rath Yatra begins in Odisha’s Puri without devotees and amid curfew
A curfew has been imposed across Puri district from 9pm on Monday till 2pm on Wednesday, according to Abhay, the director general of police (DGP).
The Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath began on Tuesday in Odisha’s Puri without the usual throng of devotees in view of the coronavirus pandemic after the Supreme Court modified its earlier order to give a nod to the annual ritual.
The top court had on Monday allowed the state to hold the festival with restrictions in the wake of coronavirus pandemic and said only 500 people shall pull each of the chariots.
A curfew has been imposed across Puri district from 9pm on Monday till 2pm on Wednesday, according to Abhay, the director general of police (DGP).
More than 50 platoons of the police force—one platoon has 30 personnel—have been deployed and CCTVs installed at various locations as part of the security arrangement for the nine-day festival, officials said, adding, all entry points to Puri were sealed.
Priests and police personnel, who were part of the chariot pulling ritual, underwent mandatory Covid-19 testing on Monday night and only those whose reports came out negative were allowed to participate in the festival, they said.
Rituals, sanitisation
A huge crowd could be seen outside the centuries-old temple as people took part in the colourful procession.
Several customary rituals like ‘Mangla Arati’ and ‘Mailam’ were held before the presiding deities—Lord Jagannath, his elder brother Lord Balabhadra and their sister Devi Subhadra—set out from the sanctum sanctorum of the temple.
The temple complex was sanitised before the rituals began.
The three deities descended from the ‘Ratna Sinhasana’ or the bejewelled throne and were taken out of the temple down the 22 steps known as ‘Baisi Pahacha’ through the Lion’s Gate in an elaborate royal ritual called ‘Pahandi’.
The deities moved amid blowing of conch shells and the ringing of bells.
Sudarshana, the celestial wheel of Vishnu, was taken out and placed in the chariot of Devi Subhadra followed by Lord Balabhadra and finally Lord Jagannath.
Draped in layers of red, black, green and yellow, the three wooden chariots, ready to carry the deities for their annual nine-day sojourn to the Gundicha Temple, waited outside.
The 45-feet high Nandighosh, the chariot of Lord Jagannath, stood with 16 huge wooden wheels and Lord Balabhadra’s Taladhawaja is 44-feet high with 14 wheels. Devi Subhadra’s chariot, Darpadalan, is 43-feet high with 12 wheels.
Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb performed the special ‘Chhera Panhara’ ritual with a golden broom ahead of the pulling of the chariots.
News agency ANI tweeted videos, which showed sevayats or those who perform the rituals, playing traditional musical instruments and dancing as others carried the idol to the chariot.
“Lord Jagannath likes to watch dance and I’m here to do the same and offer my prayers,” an artist said according to ANI.
“We have come for the darshan of Lord Jagannath. I believe that now the corona will go away,” a participating priest was quoted as saying by the news agency.
‘Jai Jagannath’
Lakhs of devotees, who have been barred from participating in the grand festival, witnessed the Rath Yatra on television.
President Ram Nath Kovind, vice president M Venkaiah Naidu, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik and Union home minister Amit Shah greeted people on the occasion of Rath Yatra.
“My heartiest greetings to all of you on the auspicious occasion of Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra. I wish that this journey filled with devotion brings happiness, prosperity, good luck and health to the lives of the countrymen. Jai Jagannath!” the Prime Minister tweeted.
The Supreme Court gave the go-ahead for the Rath Yatra after taking note of the Odisha government’s assurance that it “can be held in a limited way without public attendance”.
A bench headed by Chief Justice SA Bobde on Monday directed the Odisha government to impose curfew in Puri city during the chariots procession after modifying its June 18 order that had said the Rath Yatra cannot be permitted due to the coronavirus pandemic.
(With agency inputs)
