Puri: The Sri Jagannath temple administration Tuesday formally sent a letter to temple Purohit to perform ‘ratha anukul and pratistha’ (consecration) ceremonies on the early morning of June 23 before the beginning of the nine-day sojourn of the Trinity.
The letter was sent although the state government is yet to take a decision on the holding of the annual Rathayatra June 23.
A case was also pending before the Supreme Court on a petition filed by the Odisha Vikash Parishad praying to stop holding the car festival in view of COVID pandemic. The petition is likely to come up for hearing tomorrow.
The district administration, however, has been keeping everything ready for the festival. The construction of three chariots was ahead of the fixed time schedule. The carpenters today fixed Simhasanas, Kalash and flag masts on three chariots.
Darzis(tailors) and painters are working round the clock to decorate the chariots with coloured clothes. The Temple administration is planning to organise the fete without participation of devotees as was done during Snan Purnima.
Hundreds of temple servitors have volunteered to pull the chariots to their destination Gundicha Ghar along with the police personnel observing the COVID precaution norms and guidelines prescribed by the state and central government.
At present, the Trinity is being treated in Anasaraghar (sick room) for fever which they caught after bathing in 108 pitchers of aromatic water on Snan Purnima day.
The Trinity would appear for public darshan on the Netrotshav day which falls June 22, a day prior to the Rath Yatra.
(UNI)