The Jagannath temple in Ahmedabad organised a token procession of the Rath Yatra within its sprawling premises on Tuesday, after the Gujarat High Court turned down pleas for a street procession.
Chief Minister Vijay Rupani conducted the “pahind” ritual to kickstart the Yatra. A few political leaders and some devotees were present during the procession in the temple premises in Jamalpur area of the city.
In an urgent hearing that continued till 2 a.m. on Tuesday, a Division Bench of the Gujarat High Court rejected six pleas, including that of the State government, seeking the court’s permission to allow the Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Vikram Nath and Justice J.B. Pardiwala turned down the State government’s proposal to allow the procession to be taken out in curfew, and said that it was proper that the chariots’ movement was restricted to Lord Jagannathji Temple premises in Ahmedabad.
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As many as six pleas moved late on Monday sought the court’s nod, c iting the Supreme Court’s order which allowed the Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra procession in Puri, Odisha.
The Gujarat government, in its plea, contended that the traditional annual Rath Yatra should be allowed with limited devotees and curfew along the procession route.
It also contended that the yatra, which was begun in 1878, had never been interrupted and, therefore, that tradition should continue this year too, with restrictions in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The government assured that the procession would begin early in the morning and be completed around 11 a.m. and no crowd would be allowed to gather along the route while chariots would be pulled by tractors instead of devotees.
The State authorities had even prepared the route and issued advisories for traffic movements in anticipation of a favourable court ruling.
However, the Bench held that the city was in the midst of the worst pandemic and public health emergency and, therefore, this year the yatra should not be allowed to be taken out on the streets.
In fact, many areas along the route were COVID-19 hotspots where hundreds of people have died.
Earlier, late on Saturday, the Gujarat High Court had stayed the annual Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra procession in an urgent hearing. The yatra was scheduled to be carried out on June 23.
The Division Bench of Chief Justice Nath and Justice Pardiwala, while hearing the plea, held that the procession should not be allowed as it had the potential to spread the pandemic in the city as social distancing norms could not be ensured in a large gathering.
The Bench relied on the Supreme Court’s judgment which had earlier stayed the annual Puri Jagannath Rath Yatra, but allowed it with several conditions on Tuesday.
The Ahmedabad Rath Yatra is second largest after the one in Puri, and more than one lakh people participate in the procession which passes through walled city area from Jagannath temple in Jamalpur.
The court also wondered why the authorities did not take any decision whether to grant permission or decline regarding holding of the annual procession.
