Odisha Channel Bureau
Cuttack: Bali Jatra, the annual maritime festival in Cuttack, will not be held this year due to the prevailing COVID-19 pandemic.
A decision in this regard has been taken by the district administration.
The Bali Jatra will not be held because of the pandemic as holding the event would lead to large congregation of people, according to Cuttack Collector Bhabani Shankar Chaini.
Lakhs of people from all parts of Odisha visit Cuttack city every year to take part in the Bali Jatra.
Similarly, the administration has decided not to facilitate the Bada Osha at Dhabaleswar temple across the Mahanadi due to the ongoing pandemic.
It is not possible to hold the Bada Osha at Dhabaleswar temple this year, Chaini said.
In fact, all temples and other places of worship continues to remain closed across Odisha since the lockdown was imposed in March this year to contain the spread of coronavirus.
The State government is yet to take a decision about reopening the temples for the public despite demand from various quarters. The authorities are collecting views of the stakeholders and are expected to take a final decision in this regard in the near future.
Cuttack district also has reported more than 25,000 COVID-19 positive cases so far.
In this backdrop, public celebration of Durga Puja was also prohibited last week. The Durga Puja rituals were also conducted in Cuttack, Bhubaneswar and all other places across Odisha without public participation.
