Puri: A meeting is underway by the managing committee of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), Friday, regarding the Supreme Court’s decision on the cancellation of this year’s Rath Yatra.
The meeting is being convened at the conference hall of Niladri Bhakta Niwas and is being presided over by Gajapati Maharaj Shri Dibyasingh Deb. Managing Committee Executive Chairman Suresh Chandra Mohapatra, SJTA Administrator Dr. Krishna Kumar, District Collector Balwant Singh and other members of the SJTA are also present at the meeting.
Notably, the Supreme Court Thursday stayed this year’s historic Puri Rath Yatra starting from June 23 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Lord Jagannath won’t forgive us if we allow it,” said the apex court in a statement.
Many devotees and servitors of Srimandir have expressed displeasure over the Supreme Court’s order.
However, some devotees have opined that they would accept the apex court’s verdict as the will of Lord Jagannath.
Saroj Behera, a devotee, said that he would accept the court order with a heavy heart. “The court order must have hurt the sentiments of Odia people. We thought that the state government would organise the festival without the presence of devotees. We have to wait for a year to watch Rath Yatra. The Covid-19 pandemic has prevailed over the sentiments of devotees,” he added.
Senior Daitapati servitor Binayak Dasmahapatra said that the apex court’s order on this year’s Rath Yatra has hurt the sentiments of crores of devotees. “The Rath Anukula ritual was not performed at the Rath yard. It was carried out on the temple premises. So, there were apprehensions with regards to the organisation of this year’s Rath Yatra. The cancellation of the mega festival is a dark chapter in the history of Srimandir. We have not been privy to this kind of a situation for many years,” Dasmahapatra added.
In the meeting, the members will discuss details regarding the Supreme Court’s order and finalise what will be the next steps to celebrate the event.
PNN
