Amidst uncertainty looming over celebration of Rath Yatra this year due to the COVID-19 outbreak, Union Minister Pratap Sarangi has urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to take a decision on the festival after consultation with Puri Shankaracharya Nischalananda Saraswati, Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb and other stakeholders before reaching any conclusion in the matter.
Sarangi, in a letter to Patnaik, said that while the Rath Yatra has an abiding emotional connect with people, recent media reports concerning coronavirus casting a shadow on the festival this year have been deeply disturbing to millions of devotees across the world.
He has admitted that holding Rath Yatra, which is to begin on June 23, could be a tough affair “in terms of level of public enthusiasm and scale of participation”.
“I sincerely believe that amidst restrictions, the festival should be organised as per age-old divine traditions, reflecting the unity of mind and sense of purpose of all the stakeholders,” Sarangi has said.