Views of Puri seer on rituals associated with Rath Yatra will be sought: Gajapati

Puri: With the Supreme Court’s cancelling the annual Ratha Yatra and associated activities at the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri, Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb On Thursday said the Srimandir Managing Committee will seek the views from Puri Shankaracharya Swami Nischalananda Saraswati on the issue and further steps will be taken thereafter.
Deb told mediapersons, “The apex court has stayed the Rath Yatra outside Srimandir, but decision on rituals of the deities inside the temple will be taken after a discussion with the Puri Shankaracharya.”
The SC’s order on the Ratha Yatra will definitely hurt devotees. But, the apex court’s decision has to be carried out by everyone, Deb added.
In his reaction, BJP State President Samir Mohanty said the Supreme Court’s decision has to be accepted as this is what the Lord Jagannath wants.
“The country is going through an unprecedented situation. We have to accept the SC’s bold decision on the Ratha Yatra. Probably this is the Lord’s wish,” Mohanty said.
Earlier in the day, the apex court direct the Odisha government not to conduct Ratha Yatra this year. “There shall be no activity associated with the Ratha Yatra during this period. Lord Jagannath will not forgive us if we allow it,” the SC said in an order.