Bhubaneswar: Raja Gajapati Maharaj of Puri has reached the Dibyasingha Deb Jagannath Temple. He will join the rath yatra. He will also perform the 'Chhera Pahanra' ritual, in which Lord Jagannath's chariot will be cleaned with a gold-studded broom. This ritual is performed only by the people of Puri's royal family.
Jagannath Yatra has started in Puri with strict rules as directed by the apex court. Only 500 people are allowed to pull the chariot during the journey. There are curfew conditions in the city and people are not being allowed to move out of the houses. People are watching live telecasts of Rath Yatra on TV from their homes. This will be the first time in more than 2500 years that devotees will not be involved in the rath yatra and they will be imprisoned in their own homes.
State's Director General of Police Abhay said that "curfew-like" bandh will continue in the entire district till 2 pm on Wednesday. He has urged people to follow the directions of the Supreme Court while celebrating the rath yatra amid the Coronavirus epidemic. The Director-General of Police also said that more than 50 Paltan police forces have been deployed for security during the nine-day celebration.
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