PURI: Puri Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb on Friday said the State Government seems to have not taken notice of the resolutions passed in the Sri Jagannath temple managing committee meeting on Rath Yatra held on May 30.
The Gajapati welcomed the apex court’s decision and said the chariots would not be pulled outside the temple. However, he observed the unprecedented situation arising out of the apex court order has necessitated reforms in the temple’s Record of Rights.
"Since there is no precedent of Rath Yatra being cancelled when the deities are in Anasar Ghar, it remains unclear how the nitees will be performed in these extraordinary circumstances. A new set of nitees will have to be chalked out for holding Rath Yatra inside the 12th century shrine premises," he told mediapersons.
The new nitees should be included in the Record of Rights for future reference during emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic. These rituals will become a precedent and ensure that the tradition of Rath Yatra is not broken, he said.
The Puri King’s statements came after a meeting of Sri Jagannath temple managing committee (MC) early in the day which remained inconclusive. In the evening, the MC and Chhatisha Nijog sat together for almost three hours to decide on ways to perform the rituals related to the Car festival on the temple premises but nothing positive came out of the meeting. The MC members would consult Puri Seer Swami Neeschalananda Saraswati on the way forward.
Meanwhile, Daitapati servitors dubbed it impossible to perform Rath Yatra and associated rituals inside the temple. Senior Daitapati Binayak Dasmahapatra said since all the Daitas are now busy taking care of the Trinity in Anasara Ghar (sick room), they will hold another meeting on ways to perform the rituals. The Daitas, known as body protectors of the deities, play a vital role in the annual festival from Snana Purnima to Niladri Bije when the Trinity returns to the Ratnasimhasan.
Seer welcomes order but seeks review
BHUBANESWAR: Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati on Friday welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision but said Rath Yatra should be allowed by following the traditions laid down in the sacred texts and with a limited number of servitors.
"The apex court's order to protect the people of Odisha from the prevailing coronavirus pandemic should be welcomed. However, it is expected that Rath Yatra be allowed in accordance with the prescribed norms as mentioned in the scriptures and in presence of a limited number of servitors," the seer added.