Coronavirus: Beginning on July 1 at the Gundicha Temple, the Jagannath Rath Yatra will end on July 12 at the Jagannath Temple. This year, three enormous chariots have been constructed to carry the gods. 

Meaning of the Rath Yatra 

According to the holy writings, Subhadra, the sister of Lord Jagannath, once expressed a desire to travel to Puri. Then Jagannath and Balabhadra mounted the chariot pulled by their beloved sister Subhadra and began to tour the city. He also spent seven days at Gundicha’s aunt’s home at this time. Since then, it has become tradition to travel on the Jagannath Yatra. The chariot of Balabhadra is at the front, followed by that of his sister Subhadra, and the chariot of Jagannath is in the back. The Jagannath Yatra will begin on July 1 and end on July 12 this year.

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What transpires during the Rath Yatra 

On July 1, the devotees will congregate at the Gundicha shrine. Since June 14, the festival has been going on, and soon the whole city will be immersed in the spirituality of the Lords Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra. Since the Rath Yatra will once again be open to the public after a two-year hiatus, thousands of devotees are likely to go to the pilgrimage site of Puri. A sufficient number of police officers have been deployed throughout the town to ensure that worshippers can safely view the deities. 

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Jagannath Rath Yatra 2022 

Given that the Jagannath Rath Yatra is set to be started in Puri, Odisha, it is a call to all religious people. On July 1, the three-kilometer yatra from the Gundicha temple will commence. This year, three enormous chariots were constructed to carry the gods through a sizable crowd of pilgrims. On July 1, the three primary idols—Jagannath, Balabhadra, and Subhadra—will make an appearance at the Rath Yatra. Due to the Covid-19 outbreak, entry to the Rath Yatra in Puri has been severely constrained for the past two years. It is anticipated that a significant number of worshippers would draw the chariots this year. 

Coronavirus measures which need to be followed during the Rath Yatra- 

Due to the increase of Coronavirus  cases in Odisha, a senior official announced on Monday that worshippers attending the annual Rath Yatra celebration in Puri on July 1 will have to wear masks. According to Director of Health Service Bijay Mohapatra, almost 10 lakh people from all over the country and some other countries are anticipated to attend the celebration in the temple town. 

“This year’s celebration is going to draw a sizable congregation. In Puri, wearing a mask is required during the celebration. At the bus stop, Grand Road (Bada Danda), and train station, health clinics will be established up “said Mohapatra. 

He urged those who were experiencing Coronavirus symptoms to stay away from the town, saying that the virus should be contained by exercising prudence.

Security arrangement for the smooth conduct of Rath yatra-  

At a meeting on Thursday, security arrangements for the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Balabhadra, Lord Jagannath, and Devi Subhadra on July 1 were decided upon. These included security measures in and around the Srimandir, Gundicha temple, Badadanda, inner and outer Rath cordons, as well as traffic regulations. 

The Srimandir has been divided into 13 sectors, and under the direction of IGP Narasingh Bhol, a sufficient number of police officers with senior officers in charge of each area will be deployed for Pahandi of the deities to their appropriate chariots. remarked Radhakrishna Sharma 

The deputy commander of Srimandir and Addl SP are identified as the nodal officers for the day. The efficient administration of automobile traffic has received special attention, in part so that the big audience anticipated this year can be controlled. 

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People going for the Rath Yatra need to be very careful as the Coronavirus cases are rising and there will be lakhs of people going in the yatra. Every arrangement has been done for the people attending the Rath Yatra with full security.