Controversy thickens over climbing of chariots

Odisha Channel Bureau Bhubaneswar: Controversy over devotees climbing the chariots of Lord Balabhadra, Lord Jagannath and Devi Subhadra during the annual Rath Yatra has thickened with Puri Shankaracharya and Naveen Patnaik Government taking different stand on the issue.Shankaracharya Nischalananda Saraswati has expressed displeasure after Odisha government ignored his advice that devotees should not be allowed to climb chariots of deities during Rath Yatra.Going against the Shankaracharya’s suggestion that devotees should not be allowed to climb the chariots and touch the deities, the State government had on June 11 banned climbing of chariots by devotees on the days of Rath Yatra, Bahuda Yatra and Sunabesha.Law Minister Arun Sahu, who announced the government’s decision after discussing the issue with the Daitapatis, a section of servitors of Lord Jagannath, was, however, silent about the devotees climbing the chariots and touching the deities on other days.Soon after Sahu informed the media about the government’s stand, a spokesperson for the Daitapatis had clarified that the devotees will not be allowed to climb when the chariots were on the move.The devotees can climb after the chariots reached their destination, the spokesperson had claimed.An official spokesman of Shankaracharya’s Gobardhan Peeth on Saturday demanded that the State government should reconsider its decision and impose a complete on devotees climbing the chariots during the festival.The Rath Yatra is scheduled to be held on June 29.