Jagannath Yatra: Has social distancing order gone for a toss?

Photo: ANI

With the beginning of the Jagannath Yatra in the Holy town of Puri, the Odisha Government is maintaining strict vigil on Coronavirus guidelines including social distancing. This year, the yatra has been organised under the shadow of the pandemic. It is being held after the Supreme Court revised its decision to give the green signal, albeit precautions.

The apex court on Monday said that each of the three chariots must be pulled or surrounded by not more than 500 people. This included officials and police personnel.  It also asked them to be tested for the pandemic, before they pull chariots. 

The top court also said that the three chariots should be pulled in a one-hour gap while maintaining social-distancing. In keeping with the court's order, the state government has imposed 41-hour curfew in the city. Devotees have been encouraged to watch proceedings through televisions or portals.

The annual Jagannath Yatra holds a significant value for Hindus, not only in India but across the globe. Every year, millions of people reach this holy city to pull chariots. The festival takes place on Assadha Shukla Paksha Duitiya. It begins with Lord Jagannath and his two siblings Balarama and Subhadra visiting their mausi (aunt)'s home at Gundicha Temple, near Balagundi Chhaka.

The local authority must take into account and bring those breaking Supreme Court guidelines to book.  While these devotees might have been tested negative, but any positive case from here may lead to sure in Coronavirus numbers not only in Odisha but the rest of the country as well.

Already one of the priests has been tested positive. He has been kept out of the festival. However, is there any guarantee that nobody, who came in contact within the last few days, was part of this annual ritual?  A video uploaded by ANI also suggests that social distancing advisory is not being carried. Several devotees can be seen not wearing masks too.

Watch this video

The revised order of the Supreme Court is a welcome step. However, it's a task cut-out for the local administration. It won't be easy for it to monitor social distancing with a hawk-eye during each of the three yatras.

I pray that all my concerns turn out to be baseless in the coming weeks. India is a country full of festivals. With this order of the Supreme Court, people may expect to celebrate Janmastami, Ganesh Chaturti, or observe Muharram in August, with precautions.

The Coronavirus continues to loom over in India and the rest of the world. The latest virus figure of 4, 40,215 cases and 14,011 cases till now, suggest not many dips in the number of cured cases in the next two months.

The Naveen Patnaik-led Odisha government should take extra precautions to check the extent of the pandemic in the next few weeks.  The upcoming festivals across the county will depend on the success of the state government on how it manages this festival with minimum Coronavirus spread, if at all.

All said and done, Centre's earlier order that there should be no religious gathering or congregation has gone for a toss. Will it now allow religious gatherings with prescribed norms in religious places? Only time will tell.