Rath Yatra will bring ray of hope amidst COVID-19 crisis but social distancing must: Odia community

By Mona Parthsarathi

New Delhi, Jun 22 () With the Supreme Court allowing the historic Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra in Puri, the Odia community in Delhi is in a 'festive mood' and sending congratulatory messages on social media with an appeal to devotees to strictly follow safety guidelines of the apex court amidst the COVID-19 crisis.

Pradumna Palai, assistant secretary of Delhi's Jagannath Temple, said the Rath Yatra symbolises the Odia culture and it would have been devastating if the age-old tradition was broken.

"Lord Jagannath is the soul and identity of the Odia race and he is our guiding force. It would have been devastating if the Rath Yatra was not allowed as it is the time when the Lord comes on the earth to meet all his devotees. It is the most auspicious occasion in every Odia household," Palai told .

"We are not having Rath Yatra in Delhi temple this year. The idols of Lord Jagannath, Subhadra and Balbhadra will take a round in the ground inside the temple but devotees will not be allowed," he added.

Four days after staying the Rath Yatra at Puri, the Supreme Court on Monday allowed holding of the historic Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra, which starts on June 23, with certain conditions including that there would be no public attendance.

The Odisha government immediately activated its administrative machinery on a war footing for smooth conduct of the annual festival.

Saroj Parnaik, from Odisha's Ganjam district, said, "There is a festive atmosphere amongst the Odia community now. Everyone is depressed with the current health crisis but at least there is something to bring a smile on face. There is a flood of messages on WhatsApp, Facebook and Twitter. This is the one aspect but another issue is about the safety and health issues in COVID-19."

"The chariot for Jagannath is approximately 45 feet high and 35 square feet and has 16 wheels. Normally, lakhs of devotees pull it but now it will be a devotee-less Rath Yatra and also a herculean task to conduct it smoothly," he said.

In the Rath Yatra, the three deities are taken from the Jagannath Temple in chariots to the Gundicha Temple, where they stay for nine days.

Thereafter, the deities again ride the chariots back to Shri Mandir in 'Bahuda Jatra'. On the way back, the three chariots halt at the Mausi Maa Temple and the deities are offered 'Poda Pitha', a kind of baked cake which is generally consumed by people of Odisha.

Shipra Sarangi is happy that her parents, who are staying alone in Cuttack, have some reason to celebrate now.

"We are living in different cities and my parents are alone in Cuttack. They were anyway depressed in the current situation and stay on the Rath Yatra further hampered their spirits. Now, they are happy and I can feel the happiness in their voice over the phone," she said.

"We will follow all the rituals at home. It's better to have a devotee-less Rath Yatra rather than not having it," Sarangi said.

A renowned Odia scribe, who belongs to Puri, said the government should ensure all social distancing and health-related safety norms are followed by servitors, temple staff and whoever is involved with the yarta.

"When you are allowing sentiments to overshadow reason, you have to ensure the health protocols are followed. It's not about the 10 lakh people who would not turn up but it's about the people who will be in close proximity with each other and their safety is equally important," he said. MJ KJ