Puri: Mukti Mandap, the traditional seat of religious scholars of Srimandir, Monday, pleaded with the state government and the temple administration to organise annual Rath Yatra without the presence of devotees in view of the coronavirus scare.
The religious body said that this would help continue the age-old traditions. The guidance of Sankaracharya, the statutory president of Mukti Mandap, should be considered in this regard.
Mukti Mandap vice president Pandit Biswanath Mishra, in a statement, urged the state government and the temple administration to organise the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath and his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra amid tight security and without participation of the devotees.
The pundit suggested that servitors would render their services while limited number of police personnel would pull the chariots along the Grand Avenue to Gundicha temple.
Devotees across the country could enjoy the festival through live telecast from their homes. For that, all the entry points to Puri should be sealed and social distance norms would be followed.