Odisha & UP govts help avert untimely Rath Yatra in Hapur

Bhubaneswar: A joint effort by the govts of Odisha and Uttar Pradesh have led to the cancellation of an unscheduled Rath Yatra in Hapur district. On May 18, Puri Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator Arabinda Kumar Padhee requested Hapur district collector Kavita Meena to intervene upon learning that a local organisation planned to hold the festival on June 14, well ahead of the traditional date of July 16.

“Following our request and prompt action of the Hapur district collector, the organisation has dropped its plan. The district administration has advised them to celebrate Rath Yatra on July 16, in line with the schedule observed at Puri Jagannath temple. We are grateful to the Hapur administration,” Padhee said on Sunday.

Puri king Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb, along with the SJTA, launched a campaign urging Jagannath temples across India and abroad to synchronise their celebrations with the official calendar of the Puri temple, revered as the main abode of Lord Jagannath, thereby ensuring uniformity in observance of the sacred festival.