Bhubaneswar: Former Pallahara MLA Bibhudhendra Pratap Das has in a letter urged the State Government not to cancel the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Puri in view of the coranvirus crisis.
Das in letters to the State Law Minister, Chief Secretary and Development Commissioner said skipping the world-famous festival would hurt the sentiments of millions of the devotees in the country and abroad.
Besides, it would lead to discontinuation of the historic tradition of hundreds of years.
He requested the administration to hold the festival by taking some measures like police personnel should pull the three chariots of the Lords, before one month of the festival all roads to the pilgrim town should be sealed. Directions should be issued that no outside residents should be allowed entry to Puri. The hotels on the Grand Road should be barred from lodging any guests. Besides the sevayats nobody else should be allowed atop the chariots and all the servitors should be issued passes and identity -cards.
All bus and train services to the town should not be allowed to ply till the conclusion of the Rath Yatra, Das stated. But he advised the Rath Yatra being held in other parts of the State should be prohibited.
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