Kendrapara: For the first time in the history of the 400-year-old Baldevjew temple, the Ratha Yatra will not be held at Tulasikshetra here this year.
The decision not to hold the Rath Yatra was taken at a meeting held here Wednesday evening under the chairmanship of District Collector, Samarth Verma, due to COVID19 pandemic.
The temple servitors, Temple Endowment Trust board members, Executive officer of Baladevjew temple and the sub-collector cum-president of Baladevjew temple Endowment Trust board participated in the meeting.
The servitors said this is for the first time in the history of the temple, the car festival is not going to be held here and the chariot will not roll on Ratha Danda. But the rites and rituals related to car festival at Baladevjew temple would be organised within the premises of the temple.
Thousands of migrant workers from India and outside the country recently returned to the district. The district comes under one of the high-risk districts in the state in coronavirus. Thousands of devotees would come to the Ratha Danda to have darshan of lord and to pull chariot which would create a major problem to contain the spread of COVID-19.
So to contain the spread of COVID-19 and to ensure the safety of the people of the district from being infected with COVID-19 in large numbers, the district administration took such decision, the district collector said.
The temple servitors and the temple Endowment Committee members and office bearers had given a proposal to the district administration to allow 700 people, including 300 servitors, to pull the chariot.
But, the sub-collector had left the final decision to the Collector who refused to organize car festival this time due to global pandemic, informed Ranjan Prusty, one of the members of Temple Trust board.
“We are going to discuss with the servitors about the decision of district collector and would take advice from the pundits and Rajpurohits on how to organize car festival rituals inside the temple
A decision will be taken in this regard Thursday, said Balabhadra Patri, the Executive Officer of Baladevjew temple Endowment Trust Board.
Besides, Baladevjew temple, the district collector has also directed not to organise chariot pulling in other parts of the district to contain the spread of global pandemic.
(UNI)
