By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR: With COVID-19 fear in mind, the Naveen Patnaik led BJD Government, which had earlier cancelled the age-old tradition of Rukuna Ratha festival of Lord Lingaraj, too decided to decided to cancel the Chandan Yatra.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing lockdown the temple office said as per the Revenue and Disaster Management department, religious celebration cannot be observed.
In a letter to the temple nijogs, the temple office stated that it is impossible to organize Chandan Yatra with the help of five sevaks.
Hence, the Chandan Yatra scheduled to be held on April 26 has been cancelled for this year.
The letter said other rituals of the Lord Lingaraj will be carried out as usual.
The Lord Lingaraj Temple Administration had earlier decided not to hold the annual car festival of Lord Lingaraj on the auspicious occasion of Ashokashtami on April 1.
The temple administration has made it abundantly clear that it cannot take the risk of conducting Chandan Yatra festival this year as per the lockdown guidelines.
This is for the first time that the age-old tradition of Lord Lingaraj of Ekamra Kshetra had been interrupted due to coronavirus threat.
