By Our Correspondent
PURI/BHUBANESWAR: With Shree Jagannath Temple Administration chief Dr Krishna Kumar missing no stone unturned for the smooth conduct Snana Yatra(Bathing ceremony) of Lord Jagannath slated for June 5, as many as 150 Daitapati Servitors engaged for the purpose, will be undergone COVID-19 test from Wednesday. The SJTA will hold the test for 2days on May 27 and 28.
SJTA Administrator (Development) Ajay Kumar Jena said that 150 servitors of Daitapati Nijog will undergo the test on May 27 and 28 while swab samples of 120 Garabadu servitors will be collected on May 29 and 30. The samples will be collected at SJTA office, he added.
Meanwhile, Khuntia Nijog submitted a list of 10 servitors to be associated with Snana Jatra to the SJTA Administrator (Rituals).
On Monday, the Daitapati Nijog submitted a list of servitors reducing the number to 150. Of 150 servitors, 60 will be engaged for Pahandi of Lord Jagannath from Ratna Singhasan to Snana Mandap, 50 for Lord Balabhadra, 30 for Goddess Subhadra and 10 servitors will be in service of Lord Sudarshan.
The SJTA has decided to conduct the bathing rituals of Lord Jagannath with minimum number of servitors and in adherence to the social distancing norms as a precautionary measure of COVID-19. Hence, servitors, who will be associated with the Snana Jatra, will undergo the COVID-19 test before the festival.
