Bhubaneswar: Rath Yatra, the annual sojourn of the sibling deities slated for July 12, will be conducted only on the Grand Road in Puri.
The Odisha government has banned the chariot pulling ritual at all other temples in the state to avoid religious congregations which can lead to a further surge in COVID-19 cases.
“Rituals relating to Ratha Yatra may be performed in temples within its premises,” the notification issued by the officer of SRC said on Thursday.
It has also spelt out the guidelines for conducting the festival at Jagannath Temple in Pilgrim Town.
1. No persons except the sevayats will be allowed to participate in the rituals.
2. Sevayats having final vaccination certificate or found negative in RT-PCR test done within 48 hours before the Rath Yatra can participate in the rituals.
3. The rituals will be performed with bare minimum sevayats as was the case last year. 4. The chariots will be pulled by sevayats, police personnel or any other officials as permitted by Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA). All such persons must have been vaccinated with two doses or have tested negative in RT-PCR tests done within 48 hours prior to Rath Yatra.
5. No devotees will be allowed to participate in Rath Yatra rituals and associated activities including pulling of the chariots.
6. There will be sufficient interval between the pulling of two chariots.
7. Each chariot will be pulled by not more than 500 persons.
8. Social distancing will be maintained as far as practicable by the persons pulling the chariots and during other rituals such as Snana Yatra, Gundicha Yatra, Bahuda, Suna Besha, Adhar Pana niti and Niladree Bije
8. The Managing Committee of SJTA will ensure compliance with these conditions.
9. The I &PR Department will make arrangement for live telecast/ streaming of important events such as Snana Yatra, Gundicha Yatra, Bahuda, Suna Besha/ Niladree Bije and share the common feed with all willing electronic/ web media.
10. All entry points in Puri Town like railway station, bus stand, roads, rivers and sea routes will remain closed during the period of Ratha Yatra and on any other days as deemed necessary by the district administration.
11. Curfew will be imposed in Puri town on all such days. No one will be allowed to come out of their houses or their places of residence such as hotels/ lodging houses/ dharmashala. However, essential services covering ambulance/medicine shops/medical personnel/water supply/power supply/telecommunication or any other services/personnel as required by district administration will be allowed. Similarly, persons requiring emergency travel to and from Puri will be allowed by the local administration.
12.Trains/buses and private vehicles will not be allowed to enter the town during this period.
