Rath Yatra: Naveen Govt Passed with Full Marks

Bhubaneswar: Finally, all is ended with well. The Lord smiled with pleasure – the pleasure for reaching His aunt’s house. The Jagannath temple and Bada danda (Grand Road) were glowing with a heavily beauty after the transformation work under taken by the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik-led Odisha Government. Though devotees were absent, the ambience was high, so as the emotion was universal, just like the resolute love and reverence Lord of the Universe evoked in the air.

In the living memory, this may be for the first time the splendorous Rath Yatra smoothly conducted without devotees physically, but they were connected emotionally with the Lord.

The high ambience in the air, splendorous of the Rath Yatra was the testimony of the State Government and how it managed the world famous festival on time by resolute and articulately management amidst chant of hymns, blowing of conchs and beating of gongs and cymbals.

Once again the Odisha Government, which has earned a special name for management of natural disasters, proved that it can organize any festival as big and as holy as Rath Yatra at the world stage with short time.

It was however not easy for the Government as the cloud of uncertainty had prevailed over the annual festival of Jagannath Temple amid the Coronavirus outbreak.

Undeterred by all odds and uncertainty, the Odisha Government made the right noises and the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration put in place all preparations even during lockdown to ensure that all critical rituals were conducted with social distancing and by keeping the devotees away.

The biggest challenge before the government this year was to keep the devotees under control and maintain peace and law and order as many times before it was seen that the emotion of the devotees ran high and it was difficult for the security agency to control the devotees. The administration successfully passed this biggest hurdle as well.

This year, each chariot is being pulled by not more than 500 persons, including policemen and servitors.

The State Government and the Puri district administration have made adequate arrangements for the smooth conduct of Rath Yatra.

The State Government has worked overnight to make sure that the millions of devotees across the world can watch the Rath Yatra from their home.

Every single devotee now applauds the State government for its extraordinary skills to organize the Rath Yatra with high emotion and short time.