Rathyatra: Coronavirus-induced curfew mars festivities for second year
New Delhi: Celebrations of the annual Rath Yatra, organized at Jagannathpuri in Odisha for centuries, were marred for a second consecutive year on Monday due to the curfew imposed to control the crowd as part of restrictions being observed to contain the Covid-19 pandemic.
To contain the crowds, the district administration had imposed a two-day curfew starting 8 AM on Sunday to 8 PM on Tuesday.
The government had imposed other restrictions as well on the three-km-long Rathyatra route between the temples of Lord Jagannath and Gundicha, where all activities, except medical emergencies, remained prohibited.
Official reports said the three Juggernauts, or Holy Chariots of Lord Jagannath, Balbhadra, and Subhadra, will be flagged off with 65 deployed squads to ensure smooth conduct of the religious event. Each squad will consist of 30 personnel of the armed forces.
Puri’s District Magistrate Samarth Verma appealed to the devotees to stay in their homes throughout the curfew and refrain from crowding on the Grand Road.
“People can enjoy the festival at home by watching it on their TV sets. The government has made all arrangements by keeping the ongoing pandemic in mind,” he said.
(Avya Mathur)
