Puri: In the wake of the second wave of the pandemic, the District Administration had imposed CrPc 144 in Odisha’s Puri during the ‘Snanayatra’ (bathing ceremony) of Lord Jagannath.
According to sources, though the ceremony is on June 24, the restrictions will remain in till 2 am of June 25.
Meanwhile, Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) had finalised the schedule of Rath Yatra and SJTA Chief Administrator Krishan Kumar stated that not just during the bathing ceremony but even on Rath Yatra on July 12 no common people except the Srimandir’s sevayats will be allowed to participate in the rituals.
“No persons except the sevayats will be allowed to participate in the rituals of Rath Yatra this year due to COVID-19. The rules of attending the rituals will be the same as last year. Sevayats having final vaccination certificates or are found negative in RT-PCR test will be allowed. The certificates will have to be submitted 48 hours before the rituals,” said Krishan Kumar.
Krishan Kumar also mentioned that only 88 people including 40 carpenters, 31 servitors, 13 blacksmiths and four temple officials are working to make the chariots.
According to sources of SJTA the Holy Trinity will be shifted from sanctum sanctorum to the bathing stand on June 23 midnight and with minimum servayats.
The sources also confirmed that in order to tackle the crowd of the devotees, five ASPs, 23 DSPs are deputed in and around the temple premises.
It is pertinent to mention that Holy Trinity is bathed with 108 pitchers of aromatic and herbal water.
It can be recalled that even last year during the first wave of the pandemic both the Snana Yatra and Rath Yatra were celebrated without the assembling of the devotees.
