RATH YATRA IN PURI THIS TIME STAY BY SUPREME COURT
Rajesh Mohapatra,Odishabarta
PURI:Puri Rath Yatra is the famous festival which is observed every year for a long time and is popularly known as ‘Ghosha Yatra’ observed by millions of people across the globe. This year due to pandemic of corona it was difficult to resume like earlier years. There were huge debated on this whether it should be organized or cancelled like many time it happened in the past.
The historians are on views that looking at current scenario due to corona it may discontinue for the current year and our record says many a time it had been stopped because of various reasons. For sure this carries large sentiments of odias and people of other religions who love Lord Jagarnnath and brother Balabhadra and Sister, Maa Subhadra.
This time all arrangement are made to prepare three chariots which is verge of completion and all required things have been arranged and the State Govt. has also kept things arranged to pull the chariots by heavy machines or by elephants looking at corona. All rituals prior to this Rath Yatra have been observed with all devotion. But during this arrangements a case was filed by Odisha Vikash Parishad and the hearing was scheduled for today. And the the verdict came this afternoon to stop Rath Yatra for this year, verdicts came from the Apex court of India, the Supreme Court of India. Rath Yatra which is scheduled to be held on 23rd June will not take place. Court also said that Lord Jagannath will never forgive us, if we allow this year ‘Rath Yatra’.
This Bench was headed by CJI, S A Bobde who said no Rath yatra will be held in temples of Odisha this year. This plea was filed by Odisha Vikash Parishad. Solicitor General, Mukul Rohatgi appearing for the petitioner during the hearing of this case. It will be difficult to arrange such a large congregation at this time of corona.
This year Olympic has been postponed because of this corona, the pandemic. As everybody knows this is the largest chariot festival in the world and it has been celebrated for long long years. A large number of devotees are gathered in Grand Road, Puri and pulled three chariots to the Mausima Temple which is 2.5kms away from the main temple. Odisha govt. had also ordered to arrange heavy duty machine or elephants to do the needful to pull the chariots but all efforts have gone waste. But the decision of Supreme Court is the ultimate and all of us should follow this. This decision for certain disheartened many devotees across the globe but it is the benefit for all human being.
