Congress announces ‘Tulsi Yatra’ in Odisha to protest ‘mismanagement’ in Puri temple
A large number of people visit the temple this time of the year as it is the holy month of ‘Kartik’, he said, adding that they are facing difficulties as the administration has closed three of the four gates and is allowing entry only through the gate . ‘Singha Dwar’.
Bhubaneswar: The opposition Congress Party in Odisha has announced that it will undertake a ‘Tulsi Yatra’, or basil leaf pilgrimage, to protest alleged mismanagement at the 12th century Jagannath temple in Puri. The decision to launch the yatra was taken hours after ten devotees fell unconscious due to a heavy stampede towards the temple on Friday. State Congress president Sarat Pattnayak said the yatra involves collecting tulsi leaves from houses in 314 blocks of the state and offering them to Lord Jagannath in Puri.
Holy month of ‘Kartik’ and Odhisa
A large number of people visit the temple this time of the year as it is the holy month of ‘Kartik’, he said, adding that they are facing difficulties as the administration has closed three of the four gates and is allowing entry only through the gate . ‘Singha Dwar’.
“We demand the opening of all gates to avoid major mishaps like stampede as more devotees will visit the temple during the ‘Panchuka’ – the last five days of Kartik,” Pattnayak said.
Date of ‘Yatra’ will be decided soon
The date of the ‘yatra’ will be decided soon, he said. Tulsi leaves will be collected from houses in all 314 blocks of the state and taken to the party’s state headquarters in Bhubaneswar and from there the holy leaves will be taken to Puri and offered to Lord Jagannath, he said. The Congress bloc presidents will lead the program and people from all walks of life will be roped in for it, he added.
Pattnayak said his party was concerned about the safety of devotees visiting the temple and the treasures in the ‘Ratna Bhandar’, which has been closed since 1978. Ranjan Kumar Das, chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), said the three gates of the temple temple have been closed due to the ongoing work for the heritage corridor project. To this, the Congress leader said that the project work could wait, but not till the holy month of Kartik.
Ahead of Deepotsav, cultural procession in Ayodhya
Eighteen scenes themed around the Ramayana, Ramcharitmanas and various social issues were part of a procession taken out for the seventh Deepotsav to be held here in Uttar Pradesh on the eve of Diwali. The procession, which also had performances by folk artistes and ‘aartis’, started from Udaya Square and passed through different parts of the city to reach Ram Katha Park. According to a statement, the action was announced by Uttar Pradesh Tourism and Culture Minister Jaiveer Singh.
During Deepotsav, 24 lakh ‘diyas’ (earthen lamps) are lit on Ram ki Pairi and a light and sound show is organized in the evening. The statement said the scenes were captured by the state’s tourism and information departments.
The tableaus were themed around topics such as children’s rights and primary education, women’s safety and well-being, self-reliance, protection of forests and environment, and science and technology. They also presented various government initiatives.
There were also floats inspired by the Ramcharitmanas and the Ram Katha, some also depicted the Shabari-Ram Milap and Lanka Dahan.
(With input from agencies)