Supreme Court Stays The Annual Rath Yatra In Puri ‘In The Interest Of Public Health And Safety Of Citizens’

The Centre requested the court not to impose a blanket ban and instead allow some leeway by permitting rituals without gathering of public

NEW DELHI| On Thursday Supreme Court stayed the annual Rath Yatra and associated activities at the Jagannath Temple in Odisha’s Puri in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. The yatra was scheduled to be held on June 23.

The order was passed in a plea by an NGO Odisha Vikas Parishad which had pointed out the public health risk involved if the annual event is allowed to take place.

The yatra involves pulling the chariot of Lord Jagannath as he comes out of his temple in this annual event. The pulling of chariot involves close contact between the people, which violates the social distancing norms.

The bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad Bobde ordered, “In the interest of public health and safety of citizens, we restrain the state from holding the Rath Yatra and associated activities. We direct that there shall be no Rath Yatra and associated activities this year.”

CJI Bobde said, “We have enough experience to know that if we allow any religious activity then there will be a gathering…Lord Jagannath will forgive us.”

Twelve temples in Balasore district, six in Mayurbhanj, five in Sambalpur, two each in Kandhamal, Bolangir and Gajapati had earlier announced that they will not hold the Rath Yatra outside the temple premises.

Statement issued by the managing committee of Shri Hribaladev Temple, Baripada said in a statement, “In wake of the pandemic situation, it has been decided to conduct all the Rath Jatra rituals including the Lord’s return car festival, inside the temple premises going by the government guidelines.”

All the temples, including the Shree Jagannath temple in Puri, are closed across the state for devotees since March 22 in view of the Covid-19 pandemic.