SAMBALPUR: The famed Sital Sasthi festival of Sambalpur will be a low key affair this time. Owing to the Covid-19 pandemic, there will be no lavish home-coming procession of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati.
This was decided at the joint co-ordination committee on Wednesday. The three-day festival would be organised from May 27.
Committee member Abhishek Mishra said, “We have not invited any artistes and no tableaus will be made for the procession. However, the procession will move round the same route like every year and stop at key locations for the devotees to have a glimpse of the divine couple from a distance.
"We will urge the devotees before hand to not crowd the streets”, he said.
However, there will be no major change in the other rituals which are performed in the temples at Jharuapada, Nandapada, Mudipada, Badbazar and Thakurpada.While earlier the procession was an overnight affair, this year it will be carried out only from 7 am to 4 pm.
Earlier, the ‘thala utha’ ritual was held on April 27 without any fanfare.