By Our Correspondent
NEW DELHI/ PURI/BHUBANESWAR: While welcoming Supreme Court’s decision in view of COVID-19, the Puri Seer Jagadguru Swami Nischalananda Saraswati however on Friday suggested the Apex Court to re-consideration its ruling on holding of the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Puri in Odisha. The Seer citing age old tradition , however urged Supreme Court to take right steps for Rath Yatra.
A high-level meeting of Chhattisa Niyog will be held on Friday evening to decide how to conduct “Rath Yatra rituals” inside Srimandir here in Odisha, informed Puri king Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb.Speaking to media persons, Deb, the foremost servitor of Sri Jagannath temple, said a meeting of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) was held here today at which it was decided to honour the Supreme Court’s judgment on Rath Yatra this year.
The King also said that several rituals such as Gundicha Yatra, Bahuda Yatra , Suna Besa, Adharpana, Niladri Bije etc will not be performed outside the temple as per the Supreme Court order.This is the first time after 285 years that the Rath Yatra would not be held. The last time the world famous car festival could not be held was between 1733 and 1735 when Mohammed Taqi Khan, deputy governor of Odisha, attacked the Jagannath temple in Puri, forcing the shifting of the idols of trinity to Ganjam district.
The State Cabinet on Thursday decided to abide by the Supreme Court’s decision against holding of the Rath Yatra in Puri and elsewhere in Odisha. Advocate General Ashok Parija submitted a copy of the apex court’s order. The decision to comply with the court’s decision was taken after Law Minister Pratap Jena moved a resolution in this regard.
The State Government was severely criticised by various quarters for not making enough efforts to convince the Supreme Court to hold Rath Yatra this year.Many critics demanded that the Government file a revision petition in the apex court pleading for conduct of the festival.
Leading the attack, senior servitor Binayak Dasmohapatra alleged that this was pre-planned as the State Government was trying to stop the festival ever since Akshaya Trutiya.
He said, “All the preparations for the annual festival have gone wasted. What had not happened in the last five centuries now became a reality.” The Car Festival could have been held without participation of devotees, he added.
Leader of Opposition in State Assembly Pradipta Naik was of the view that instead of moving the court, the Government should have found a way out to organise Rath Yatra after holding wider consultations with experts. The Government lacked clarity on the issue from the very beginning, he said, further alleging that the Government indirectly stopped the festival that involves an emotional issue for 4.5 crore people of Odisha.
Stating that the State Government finally succeeded in stopping the Rath Yatra, Congress MLA Tara Prasad Bahinipati said the Government was afraid that if it had stopped the festival, it would have been accused of hurting People’s sentiments; so, it sought an order of the apex court.
However, Puri Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb said that now all have to obey the Supreme Court’s verdict though it would hurt Lord Jagannath’s devotees across the world. Suggestions would be sought from the Sankaracharya on a feasibility of conducting the festival rituals inside the temple premises, he said.
Acting on a plea of a NGO, Odisha Vikas Parishad , which had pointed out the public health risk involved if the Annual Sojourn of Trinity is allowed to take place, he Supreme Court on Thursday stayed the Annual Rath Jatra In Holy City of Puri in Odisha.
“In the interest of public health and safety of citizens, we restrain the state from holding the Rath Jatra and associated activities. We direct that there shall be no Rath Jatra and associated activities this year”, the bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Shard Arvind Bobde ordered.“Lord Jagannath won’t forgive us if we allow it”, CJI said.
Solicitor General Tushar Mehta requested the Apex Court not to impose a blanket ban and instead allow some leeway by permitting rituals without gathering of public.
The Apex Court has also stayed all associated activities at the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri in the wake of the Novel Corona Virus Pandemic (COVID-19). The Annual Rath Jatra was scheduled to be held on 23 June and accordingly Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has made all preparations.
The Car Festival involves pulling the chariots of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra as they move out out of the temple in this Annual Event. The pulling of chariots involves close contact between the people, which violates the social distancing norms.
A representative team of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) and the Hindu Jagaran Sammukhya (HJS) had met Governor Prof Ganeshi Lal and sought his intervention for a positive decision on the issue of Puri Rath Yatra.
