Lockdown: Lord Jagannath's Chandan Jatra, Akshaya Tritiya festivals to be held on Puri temple premises
The decision was taken during the temple managingcommittee's meeting with Govardhan Peeth Shankaracharya SwamiNischalananda Saraswati on Friday night, he said.
"As per the advice of Guruji (Shankaracharya), it hasbeen decided to conduct both the Akshaya Tritiya and theChandan Jatra on the temple premises. The Guruji said thetradition of the temple should be maintained and thecenturies-old rituals cannot stop," Deb told reporters.
The rituals will be performed by selected priests andservitors but devotees will not be allowed inside the templepremises, he said.
The Gajapati Maharaja had earlier said the templeadministration will not undertake any activities outside thereligious institution's premises in view of the lockdown.
Akshaya Tritiya is held at the 'Rath Khala' outsidethe temple while the Chandan Jatra is organised in a tank inPuri.
He, however, said the decision on holding the RathJatra will be taken after May 3.
Apart from Gajapati Maharaja, members of the JagannathTemple Management Committee, including Shree Jagannath TempleAdministration (SJTA) Chief Administrator Krishan Kumar, thePuri district collector and the superintendent of police hadmet the Shankaracharya to seek his advice on how to conductthe rituals amid the lockdown.
The Gajapati Maharaja said the lockdown guidelinesprohibit religious congregations both inside and outside thetemple. The 12th century shrine has been closed to devoteessince the imposition of lockdown in Odisha on March 22.
SJTA Chief Administrator Krishna Kumar said thecollector and the SP will hold a meeting with the servitors ofthe temple on Saturday to decide on the place in the premiseswhere the Chandan Jatra and Akshaya Tritiya rituals will beheld.
"During the Chandan Jatra, or the 'sandalwood voyage'of Lord Jagannath, images of the deity are floated on a boatin a sacred tank in Puri. It is the longest festival of LordJagannath that is held for 42 days in two phases," BhaskarMishra, a researcher on the Jagannath culture, said.