Cuttack: The Orissa High Court on Thursday reserved its judgement on the writ petition by the Balu Bazaar Puja Committee challenging the notification of the State government to restrict the height of Durga idols within four feet in view of the prevailing Covid-19 situation.
Suryakant Sangneria, an office-bearer of Balu Bazaar informed that the High Court concluded the hearing and has reserved the judgement. The court will declare its decision tomorrow afternoon.
The Committee has prayed to the High Court citing that the tradition of its worship of Goddess Durga in the clay idol form dates back to the year 1514 and the latter may allow maintaining the tradition.
Sangneria said that was there any cap on the height of the idols and chariots of Lord Jagannath and siblings during Rath Yatra celebration. He questioned what is the issue if the height of the Durga idol is eight feet.
He said that we are ready to follow all guidelines and celebrate the festival in a closed space but the height of the idol should be eight feet. If Rath Yatra is over 800 years old, the Durga Puja worship tradition by the Committee is also over 500 years old.
What is worth mentioning here is that last year also the Balu Bazaar Puja Committee had filed a petition in the High Court over the issue of idol height. The High Court had then allowed seven puja committees of the city including the Balu Bazaar Puja Committee to maintain the normal height of the idol while asking all other puja committees to worship idols of not more than 4 feet in height.
