CUTTACK: As the State Government has prohibited public gathering around the Jagannath temple at Puri during Snana Purinima and Rath Yatra, two PILs have been filed in the Orissa High Court seeking quashing of the decision and allowing devotees to have darshan of the deities. The State Government’s decision to keep religious places and places of worship closed for public till June 30 has also been challenged in the court.
The petitioners have argued that the State’s move is contrary to the direction issued by Central Government on May 30 to open religious places and places of worship from June 8. Cuttack-based Jagannath Sanskruti Jana Jagaran Mancha and a resident of Cuttack city Jayanta Kumar Bal filed the petitions separately. Both petitions are expected to be taken up on Thursday.
In his petition, Bal has argued that there is no rationale to deny the devotees to have darshan of the deities during Sanan Yatra from outside the temple when the State authorities could make arrangement for 30,000 people to assemble on the Bada Danda (Grand Road) to sing Bande Utkal Janani on May 30.
In its petition, the Manch sought the Court’s direction to the State authorities to allow devotees to have darshan from outside the Meghanad Pacheri by standing on the Bada Danda during Snana Purnima by following social distancing and using masks after screening by contactless infrared thermometer with protective and preventive measures prescribed in the guidelines. The petitioners also sought the Court’s direction to adopt similar measures for the devotees during the Rath Yatra.