BARIPADA: Servitors of Haribaldevjew temple along with devotees on Monday staged a demonstration in front of the Collectorate demanding conduct of Dwitiya Srikhetra Rath Yatra.
The protestors said when the Supreme Court has allowed conduct of the festival at Puri, the district administration too should follow suit and allow the chariots of the Trinity to roll on the Grand Road in the town.
The agitators led by Mayurbhanj MP Biseswar Tudu took out a rally from the temple till the Collectorate where they staged a demonstration and blamed the district administration for cancelling the festival.
They said even as the servitors are ready to comply with the Covid-19 guidelines while conducting the festival, it is not justified to cancel it.
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The protestors further said the guidelines were followed by the 33 carpenters engaged in construction of the chariots of the Trinity.
“The carpenters worked hard to finish the construction of the chariots on time and till date have not remained home and are in quarantine,” said Rath Mohapatra (head of carpenters) Mrityunjaya Mohapatra.
Servitor Arun Mishra said the decision to hold the yatra should be left to the devotees. “We are deeply saddened as the 475-year-old tradition will be discontinued this year,” he said, adding the servitors are ready to pull the chariots while adhering to the guidelines.
Tudu said the issue must be taken up with the district administration by locals and people’s representatives. Meanwhile, Collector Vineet Bhardwaj stuck to the administration’s stance on the issue and said the rituals relating to the festival will be performed by servitors on the temple’s premises.
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