Puri Jagannath Yatra: The seven-day chariot festival started this morning.
Puri / New Delhi:
The famous Puri Rath Yatra started this morning as a large number of priests and temple attendants gathered at Jagannath Temple without devotees in a historic first, one day after the Supreme Court authorized Odisha to organize the seven-day float festival in the middle of India. fight against coronavirus.
Visually, a huge crowd could be seen outside the emblematic temple – decorated for the occasion – as they participated in the colorful procession and the priests took the idol of Lord Balabhadra on a chariot . The temple complex was sanitized before the rituals began.
A video tweeted by the ANI news agency showed sevayats (people performing ritual services) playing traditional musical instruments and dancing to the rhythm while others carried the idol on the chariot. In another video, a huge crowd surrounded a chariot after the idol was mounted on it.
#WATCH Odisha: priests and ‘sevayats’ carrying the idol of Lord Balabhadra for chariot #RathYatra from the Jagannath temple in Puri. pic.twitter.com/ohoWKlTwmm
– ANI (@ANI) June 23, 2020
In a tweet, Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted the faithful this morning, saying: “My warmest greetings to all of you on the auspicious occasion of Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra. I wish this devotional journey bring happiness , prosperity, good luck and health in the life of the compatriots. Jai Jagannath! “
भगवान जगन्नाथ की रथ यात्रा के पावन-पुनीत अवसर पर आप सभी को मेरी हार्दिक शुभकामनाएं। मेरी कामना है कि श्रद्धा और भक्ति से भरी यह यात्रा देशवासियों के जीवन में सुख, समृद्धि, सौभाग्य और आरोग्य लेकर आए। जय जगन्नाथ!
– Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) June 23, 2020
On Monday, the Supreme Court recalled its order from last week, which banned the hugely popular holiday this year, and said the state government will have to declare a curfew each time the tanks are fired. No more than 500 people are allowed to pull the tanks in accordance with the new order and social distance must be maintained.
Only those who have tested negative for the coronavirus can participate in the processions. “In accordance with the Supreme Court order, a coronavirus test was carried out for all ‘sevayats’ (priests) at the temple of Puri in Jagannath. As ANI says today.
“There must be an interval of one hour between two floats. Each of those pulling the float must maintain social distance before, during and after the Rath Yatra,” the court said in the detailed guidelines.
The Jagannath Temple Rath Yatra – Lord Jagannath’s largest temple in the coastal district of Puri – is attended by hundreds of thousands of people from around the world. But given the highly contagious coronavirus epidemic, the court last week ordered a ban on festivals, stating: “Such gatherings cannot take place during the pandemic.”
Shortly after the Supreme Court’s initial comments on Monday, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik tweeted saying, “Jai Jagannath”. This morning, he tweeted to Odia: “Warmest greetings and congratulations on the occasion of Saint Rath Yatra. On this occasion, I pray to the Lord for the happiness, prosperity and well-being of the people of the State . ” In another article, he shared some photos of the iconic temple.
#BadaDanda all prepared for the spiritual journey. #RathaJatra# ରଥଯାତ୍ରା#JaiJagannath ???????? pic.twitter.com/TDmGw10dFz
– Naveen Patnaik (@Naveen_Odisha) June 23, 2020
Lord Jagannatha is considered the supreme god and sovereign monarch of the Odishan empire. Temple Puri Jagannath Odisha is known as the land of Lord Jagannath, which literally means the Lord of the Universe.
During the celebrations, Lord Jagannath leaves his sanctum sanctorum so that the faithful of different sects and communities can see it. According to temple officials, those who participate in the festival “win their way to heaven”.
