Bhubaneswar: Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Majhi on Tuesday announced a two-day holiday for the Rath Yatra festival as the festival.
As the world-famous festival is coinciding with Netra Utsav and Nabajaubana of the deities on July 7 this year, the chariots will be pulled for a short distance on July 7 and it will again resume the next day. Chariot pulling will be continued for two days like 1971 Rath Yatra.
Acknowledging the significance of this rare occasion, CM Majhi declared a two-day holiday for the Rath Yatra, allowing citizens to fully immerse themselves in the festivities.
A decision to this effect was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by the CM at Puri Town Hall. The CM reviewed the preparations for the upcoming Rath Yatra festival and urged all officials, including Puri District Collector, Superintendents of Police, and senior administrative officers, to work together to ensure the smooth conduct of the festival.
He stressed that the festival’s rituals will be performed with utmost tradition and precision, mirroring those of the historic 1971 celebration and sought interdepartmental cooperation to ensure a seamless and successful event.
On this occasion, the Chief Minister said that tribals are the original servants of Lord Jagannath. As an Adivasi, I am fully devoted to Jagannath.
He also said that Jagannath is the identity of Odia people. His festival is expected to attract lakhs of devotees from across the country. So, our responsibility is to ensure its smooth conduct. Therefore, he appealed to everyone to cooperate and work together to make the Rath Yatra a grand success.
Two Deputy Chief Ministers Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and Pravati Parida, Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan, MLAs, senior administrative officers and servitors of Puri Jagannath temple were present at the meeting.
