In a historic first, Puri’s famous Rath Yatra began this morning, June 23 as a large number of priests and temple attendants gathered at the Jagannath Temple but this time without devotees.
The move came after the Supreme Court gave its nod to Odisha to hold the seven-day chariot festival in a restricted fashion amid India’s fight against the novel Coronavirus. “As per the top court’s order, Coronavirus test was conducted for all ‘sevayats’ (priests) at Puri’s Jagannath Temple,” said Odisha Law Minister Pratap Jena.
Prime Minister Mr. Narendra Modi this morning wished the devotees with a tweet, reading, “My heartiest greetings to all of you on the auspicious occasion of Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra. I wish that this journey filled with devotion brings happiness, prosperity, good luck and health to the lives of the countrymen. Jai Jagannath!”