The Jagannatah Temple association on Friday announced that this year’s Rath Yatra festival, like last year, wouldn’t see participatoin of devotees and only Covid-19 negative servitors will be allowed to pull chariots. The festival will strictly adjere to safety protocols in the backdrop of the pandemic.
“Like last year this year also Rath Yatra will be held without devotees on July 12, 2021, as per the order of the Supreme Court and SOP issued by the Odisha Government. No devotees were allowed to participate in Rath Yatra. Chariot pullers who test RT-PCR negative and have been fully vaccinated will be permitted to attend the yatra. Around 1,000 officials excluding police personnel will be deployed,” Administrator of Puri Jagannath Temple, Ajaya Jena, said.
Three thousand ‘sevayat’ (servitors) and 1000 temple officials will be allowed to perform all rituals and RTPCR tests are going on at four places at Puri since July 8, the administration said.
Odisha on Friday reported 61 Covid-19 deaths and 2,806 more cases, a health department official said. The state’s cumulative total has climbed to 4,476.