Bhubaneswar: Perhaps for the first time in living memory, the Rukuna Rath Yatra of Lord Lingaraj will not be celebrated here on Wednesday considering the possibility of spread of the coronavirus.
Official sources said the decision to suspend the centuries-old Rukuna Yatra, which occupies a unique place on the festival calendar of Bhubaneswar, was taken following discussions between the temple and district administrations. The government has banned congregations in view of the COVID-19 threat.
“Rituals that are essentially performed on the day preceding the Yatra were not held on Tuesday. So, there will be no Rukuna Rath Yatra on Wednesday,” a temple servitor said.
The Rukuna Rath Yatra is also referred to as ‘Paapa Binashakari Yatra’, meaning the journey that destroys sins. On the Yatra day, the Utsav Vigraha (Chalanti Pratima or representative deity) of Lingaraj, along with Gopalini (Parvati), Kumara and Nandikesvara including the image of Govinda are taken out in a Rath (chariot) from the 11th century Lingaraj Temple to Rameswar Temple. People of the capital city, particularly from Old Town, participate in this annual week-long festival and pull the Rath.
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