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Rahul Gandhi talks to nurses to celebrate Doctors Day, netizens feel how nothing he says makes sense anymore

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Rahul Gandhi talks to nurses to celebrate Doctors Day, netizens feel how nothing he says makes sense anymore

While Rahul Gandhi has been an unremitting source of humour and mirth for an overwhelming number of people, netizens were particularly amused when the Gandhi scion today posted a tweet saying that on Doctors Day he will be having a conversation with nurses.

“On #DoctorsDay, I am immensely grateful to the dedicated professionals who inspire hope in #Covid19 times. Today at 10 am, watch 4 dedicated nurses in conversation with me about the Covid crisis and how we should react to it,” Rahul Gandhi tweeted.

Soon after Rahul posted the tweet announcing that he will be interacting with nurses on Doctors Day, it elicited oodles of responses from social media users who were quick to highlight the contradiction of having a conversation with nurses on Doctors’ Day.

Netizens mock Rahul Gandhi for interacting with nurses on Doctors’ Day

A Twitter user responded to Rahul Gandhi’s tweet saying that the Wayanad MP no longer makes sense.

Another user on the micro-blogging website wondered if Rahul Gandhi has his minds in the right place.

Another Twitter user shared a popular meme featuring actor Nana Patekar from the Bollywood movie ‘Welcome’ implying that the doctors would have been at relief watching Rahul Gandhi interact with nurses instead of them.

Some Twitter users tried to remind Rahul Gandhi that there is a separate Nurses Day which falls on May 12 when Rahul could have interacted with the nurses instead of making a “fool” of himself by having a conversation with them on Doctors Day.

One of the ‘nurses’ was a Congress worker?

Some social media users have claimed that one of the ‘nurses’ selected by Rahul Gandhi to interact with him is actually a Congress worker. Sanjay Mishra, OSD of Tripura CM has claimed that one of the ‘nurses’, a Vipin Krishnan is actually a Congress worker. Popular page Political Kida has shared some images claiming that the particular ‘nurse’ is seen posing with senior Congress leaders and participating in Congress events.

The Congress prince is famous for his gaffes and is often a favourite of social media uses for his hilarious activities.

‘New places of worship for other religions in Islamic country not allowed’: Fatwa issued against under-construction Hindu temple in Pakistan

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‘New places of worship for other religions in Islamic country not allowed’: Fatwa issued against under-construction Hindu temple in Pakistan

Jamia Ashrafia, a leading religious school in Pakistan, has issued a “fatwa” against the first Hindu temple proposed to be built in Islamabad. The fatwa said that though the government can use its funds to upkeep and repair the places of worship of minority communities that already exist, they cannot use government funds to build new places of worship for anyone other than Muslims.

According to Mufti Ziauddin of Lahore chapter of Jamia Ashrafia, it is Islamic to retain and maintain the already existing places of worship of the minorities, so that they can fulfil their religious obligations. But in allowing them to build new places of worship or to rebuild an abandoned place of worship in an Islamic state is un-Islamic as it is equivalent to aiding in a bad deed, which isn’t permissible.

Last week, the prime minister of Pakistan, Imran Khan, approved a grant of 100 million Rupees to build the first Hindu temple in Islamabad, a Krishna temple. The project was approved after a meeting between Imran Khan and Religious Affairs Minister Pir Noor Ul Haq Qadri on 27th June. Now the Fatwa has questioned the Pakistani government’s decision to spend tax-payers money to build houses of worship of minority communities. Lal Malhi, Minority MP, said in his statement that Fatwa would not have any effect on the construction work. Around 3000 Hindus are living in Islamabad.

The high court issued a notice

A petition was filed in the Islamabad High Court against the construction of the temple. The petitioner said that the scheme does not fall under the master plan prepared for national capital Islamabad. The High Court has issued a notice to the Capital Development Authority (CDA). The petition urged that the land allotted for the construction of the temple in Sector H9 of Islamabad should be withdrawn and that the construction funds for the temple should also be withdrawn.

Religious persecution and forced conversion of minorities in Pakistan

Religious persecution, minority discrimination, and forced conversion are not new for Pakistan. While the government of Pakistan makes tall claims and ensure the safety and security of minorities in the country, there have been countless reports that confirm the sad state of minorities in the country. A Christian man was shot in Pakistan who died on 29th June. 102 Hindus in Sindh were forced to convert to Islam in June. A 14-year old Hindu girl was abducted on 27th June.

‘Being treated like a terrorist, anti-national’: Baba Ramdev slams critics of Patanjali Coronil, says some people want to vilify Ayurveda

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‘Being treated like a terrorist, anti-national’: Baba Ramdev slams critics of Patanjali Coronil, says some people want to vilify Ayurveda

Hitting back at critics of Patanjali’s ‘Coronil’ kit, Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev, while addressing a press conference on Wednesday said that he and his team are being treated like some terrorists or anti-nationals. “We have not committed any crime”, Baba Randev said, adding that the people who have been targetting Patanjali have been answered by the AYUSH Ministry itself, which has recognised the good work done by Patanjali.

“We have been subjected to baseless allegations and a vile media campaign that kept on saying things like ‘Patanjali failed’, ‘took an u-turn’ and treated us like we were criminals. It feels like that working in the field of Yoga and Ayurveda is a crime in India. FIRs were lodged against me at several places in a way like it’s done against some criminal or terrorist. People started running headlines like Ramdev will go to jail,” Ramdev said, slamming the detractors of the product.

Baba Ramdev confirmed that all the required documents and results of the tests have been submitted to the AYUSH Ministry, which has now allowed the sales of Coronil as an immunity booster. 

“Acharya Balkrishna and I are providing services worldwide since the past 35 years and we are common people, coming from humble backgrounds, who have promoted Yoga and Ayurveda. Some people don’t like this. If you people have a problem with me then abuse me, we are ‘gaali-proof’, but think about people who are infected with Coronavirus and other diseases like cancer, arthritis etc. We have helped these people,” said Baba Ramdev, furthering that “all the anti-India forces, the ones running the ‘drug mafia’ and anti-swadeshi powers were shocked to see the results of our trials.”

Speaking to the media, the Yoga Guru said: “Patanjali has been praised for working to help coronavirus patients. Adding that Coronil will be made available throughout the country along with its immunity booster medicines, Ramdev stated that there are millions suffering from the disease and Patanjali wants to help people. He added that he has only been promoting healthier lifestyles.

Ayush Ministry grants approval for ‘Coronil’ kit by Patanjali, to be sold as an immunity booster

The AYUSH Ministry on Tuesday approved the sales of Patanjali’s Coronil as an ‘immunity booster’ and granted them the license to produce three medicines and also allowed clinical trial under the rules. 

According to the reports, the AYUSH Ministry, while granting the approval for the sale of Patanjali’s Coronil kit, said that they will not be able to market the medicine as a ‘cure’ for coronavirus. The Ministry also said the Patanjali cannot display COVID-19 on its Coronil packaging.

The approval for Patanjali Ayurved comes after the company had launched a drug called Coronil last week, claiming that it will cure coronavirus within a week. It also claimed that they took part in a trial conducted at the privately-run National Institute of Medical Sciences in Jaipur.

FIR filed against Baba Ramdev, NIMS Director and others in Rajasthan

A First information report (FIR) was reportedly lodged against yoga guru Baba Ramdev for marketing ‘Coronil’, an Ayurvedic drug, as a cure for Coronavirus, without the approval of Ayush Ministry. The FIR was registered by the Jyoti Nagar police station in Rajasthan, on the basis of a complaint by an advocate Balram Jakhar who practices in the Rajasthan High Court.

Besides Ramdev, the FIR has pressed charges against the Managing Director of Patanjali Ayurved, Acharya Balkrishna, senior scientist Anurag Varshney, the director of NIMS, BS Tomar, and his son Anurag Tomar. 

We never claimed it can cure coronavirus infections: Acharya Balakrishna

Patanjali’s CEO Chief Executive Officer Acharya Balkrishna also clarified on Tuesday that the firm never claimed it can cure coronavirus with its medicines, Coronil and Swasari tablets. The firm’s Chief Executive Officer Acharya Balkrishna added that they had just shared the favourable outcome of clinical trials on patients. 

The Centre had stopped the firm from advertising their products after it had said that the facts of the claim and details of the stated scientific study are not known to them yet. In the notification, AYUSH Ministry had also asked Patanjali to submit details of the medicine such as name and composition, research study details, Institutional Ethics Committee clearance, CTRI registration and result data.

Patanjali’s claim

As the coronavirus outbreak rampaged through the country, Patanjali Ayurved, which is run by renowned Yoga guru Ramdev had launched an Ayurvedic medicine combination which claimed to cure the Wuhan originated Coronavirus disease within 3-7 days.

The Ayurveda based pharmaceutical company launched a kit containing ‘Coronil’ tablets, Swasri tablet and Anu oil, claiming that these ayurvedic medicines have shown up to 100 per cent favourable results during the clinical trials done in collaboration with NIMS, Jaipur.

Pakistan: Christian man shot dead by Muslim neighbour for purchasing house in Muslim dominated area in Peshawar

OpIndia Staff
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Pakistan: Christian man shot dead by Muslim neighbour for purchasing house in Muslim dominated area in Peshawar

Atrocities against religious minorities continue unabated in the terror state of Pakistan. In another such incident, two members of a Christian family were shot for buying a house in a Muslim dominated neighbourhood in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. Nadeem Joseph and his mother-in-law Elizabeth Masih were brutally attacked by one Salman Khan and his sons a few days after Nadeem Joseph bought a house in TV Colony in Peshawar, Pakistan on June 4, 2020.

Police have arrested several members of Salman Khan’s family in connection with the incident while he still remains on the run. Police are in the lookout for Salman Khan, who Joseph alleged, started harassing him the day he shifted to the colony.

According to Pakistani activist Rahat Austin, Nadeem Joseph who remained admitted in the hospital after the attack, succumbed to his injuries after he was operated on for the fifth time on June 29, 2020.

While in hospital, Joseph in a recorded message had said: “I am feeling scared even in the hospital. I fear my life and my family.”

He added: “I purchased the house in TV Colony a month ago. I still have to make the full payment, but Salman Khan, a Muslim man who lives opposite my house, wasn’t happy about it. He started harassing us and asked us to leave.” 

According to reports, Nadeem Joseph had bought a house in TV Colony in Peshawar, which reportedly is a Muslim dominated locality, for about PKR 600,000, and moved into the house with his family in late May.

Salman Khan continued to hound the Christian family in Peshawar, Pakistan

Once Salman Khan, who was Joseph’s neighbour, found out that Joseph and his family were Christians, he started hounding them to leave the locality immediately. Salman allegedly told Joseph and his family that since the entire neighbourhood was Muslim and that Christians (like Jews) are enemies of Islam, they could not stay there.

For days, Nadeem Joseph and his family were threatened by Salman Khan and his sons with serious consequences if they did not leave the house.

On June 4, the day of the attack, Salman Khan went to Nadeem’s house to give him a 24-hour ultimatum. But when Nadeem did not pay any heed to Salman’s threats, the latter along with his sons first shot at Nadeem and then attacked Nadeem’s family members, injuring his mother-in-law, Elizabeth Masih.

“I called police emergency help number 15 but they opened fire,” Joseph said. Joseph was reportedly shot in the stomach and his mother-in-law was hit in her left shoulder.

According to reports, none of the neighbour came forward to help Joseph and his family. After calling the emergency ambulance service, Joseph and his mother-in-law were taken to Lady Reading Hospital, where Joseph succumebed to his injuries on June 29.

Atrocities on minorities continues to be rampant in Pakistan

Pakistan has a history of atrocities against the minority community. While the Imran Khan government makes tall claims regarding the safety and security of minorities in his country, Pakistan has been notoriously indulging in the persecution of religious minorities. 

Security forces save a three-year-old child from being killed by terrorists in Kashmir. Watch as cops take him to his mother

OpIndia Staff
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Security forces save a three-year-old child from being killed by terrorists in Kashmir. Watch as cops take him to his mother

A three-year-old boy has been rescued by the Jammu and Kashmir police on Wednesday after an attack on a CRPF patrolling party in Sopore by terrorists. Kashmir Zone Police shared a picture of a police officer holding the child. The child was present at the spot when the attack happened. During the attack, a CRPF jawan and a civilian lost their lives. The child was the grandson of the civilian who was killed by the terrorists.

According to the reports, the terrorists in Sopore town of Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir attacked a patrolling party of CRPF. Two security force personnel also got injured in the attack. They were shifted to the hospital, and CRPF cordoned off the area to track down the terrorists.

DGP Jammu and Kashmir Police, Dilbag Singh, said that the terrorists attacked a Naka party in Model town of Sopore. He added, “Injuries to some Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawans and a civilian reported. The area has been cordoned off and search operation has begun.”

CRPF said that a vehicle was coming from Sopore to Kupwara got caught in firing range of terrorists. An older man driving the car stopped and tried to move away to a safe spot but got killed by the terrorists’ firing. The security forced rescued a young boy who was accompanying him.

In the last few days, in different operations carried out by CRPF, Jammu and Kashmir Police and Army resulted in neutralizing of many terrorists. Four terrorists were killed in Kulgam and Zadibal on 21st June. On 19th May, two terrorists were killed in Srinagar. On 12th May, two Lashkar terrorists were killed and one of them was a Pakistani national.

Terrorists who had killed minor boy eliminated by security forces, bodies buried away from their native village

OpIndia Staff
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Terrorists who had killed minor boy eliminated by security forces, bodies buried away from their native village

In a significant decision, the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir have decided to take away the bodies of slain Islamic terrorists and bury them away from their village instead of handing them to the family in a bid to prevent the crowd from gathering.

According to the reports, the dead bodies of the two terrorists, who were killed in a gunbattle with security forces at Waghama in Jammu & Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Tuesday, were also buried by the security forces and was not handed over to their family because of coronavirus restrictions.

Last week, the two terrorists belonging to the Jammu Kashmir Islamic State (JKIS) had killed an eight-year-old and one Central Reserve Police Force soldier after they had opened fire at a road opening party of CRPF’s 90 Battalion near the Padshahi Bagh bridge in Bijbehara area.

However, on Tuesday, they were traced by the security forces, who in a joint operation killed the two terrorists at the Waghama area of Bijbehara. The security forces also recovered arms and ammunition were from the site. 

The slain terrorists’ dead bodies were sent to Handwara, around 100 km away, for their burial after medico-legal formalities.

Security forces adopt a new strategy to bury terrorists’ dead bodies

Since last two months, the terrorists killed by the security forces have been taken away from their native places in Baramulla, Handwara, and Ganderbal due to coronavirus restrictions, which also have coincided with the increase in violence in the region.

Dilbag Singh, the police chief of Jammu and Kashmir had stated that they had adopted a new strategy to prevent funeral processions for slain terrorists by not handing over dead bodies of terrorists to the families and also to bury them quietly was taken to ensure social distancing norms during the coronavirus outbreak.

Earlier in April, the security forces had managed to quietly bury two terrorists killed in Shopian in Baramulla district on April 17. Similarly, on April 22, Jammu and Kashmir authorities had buried four terrorists killed in a gunfight in south Kashmir’s Shopian. In both these cases, the police said that the terrorists were not identified.

Following the new strategy, the body of top Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist Riyaz Naikoo was also buried quietly. The body was not handed over to the family as a preventive measure to avoid honouring him and also to prevent large crowds from gathering. The security forces buried the body in an undisclosed location.

The funerals of terrorists gathering huge crowds had been a norm in the valley lately, which had become glorification events for Pakistan-sponsored Islamic terrorists.

The security forces often faced huge problem in the valley after an operation as crowds would assemble for the funeral procession of the deceased terrorists. With the coronavirus pandemic, the problem aggravated as such funeral processions violated social distancing norms.

Anger brewing in Kashmiri families

As the security forces are adopting a new strategy, the Kashmiri families are raging against the authorities for denying them to give a proper burial for the slain terrorists as per Islamic and local traditions.

Farooq Ahmed Langoo, the father of the Shakoor Farooqui, who was killed along with two other terrorists of Jammu and Kashmir Islamic State (ISJK) in a gunfight with security forces in Pozwalpora, Srinagar on June 21 claimed that the new approach was nothing but cruel and unjust.

Shakoor was involved in the terrorist attack in Ahmed Nagar, Pandach area on the peripheries of Srinagar on May 20, when two motorbike-borne terrorists had opened fire at BSF jawans killing leaving two jawans Rana Mandal and Zia ul-Haq dead.

“We begged before them and they told us that they will give us the body of my child by 5 pm. They didn’t. We told them they may bury it but in front of us…at least, two persons from among us should also be allowed to attend the funeral. But they refused,” said Ahmed.

According to Jammu and Kashmir police chief Dilbagh Singh, Shakoor and two other terrorists had hidden in a private house before the start of the gunfight. The terrorists were given the opportunity to surrender. Shakoor’s parents and other family members had also appealed to them to lay down their arms through the public address system. However, the terrorists had ignored it, who got killed in the encounter on June 21.

Lalbaugcha Raja will not come this year, Mandal decides not to hold Ganesh Utsav due to Coronavirus pandemic

OpIndia Staff
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Lalbaugcha Raja will not come this year, Mandal decides not to hold Ganesh Utsav due to Coronavirus pandemic

Lalbaugcha Raja, the most visited idol of Lord Ganesh in Mumbai, will not be a part of Ganesh Utsav this year. The famous Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal has announced that they will hold any festivities this year amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Many well-known celebrities, politicians, and business tycoons visit to get a glimpse of Lalbaugcha Raja every year.

This year, Lalbaugcha Raja Sarvajanik Ganeshotsav Mandal decided to celebrate ‘Aarogya Utsav,’ and they will set up blood and plasma donation camps. The Mandal holds several social activities every year, including medical health check-up camps and blood donation camps.

Many Mandals decided not to have celebrations

Many Ganesh Mandals have already announced that they will either have low key celebrations or cancel the plans altogether. Lalbaug Sarvajanik Utsav Mandal, another famous Mandal, has announced that they will not have ‘Utsav Murti’ and will only bring in a four-foot Ganesh idol. They have decided to arrange an online darshan to take part in the Utsav from their homes.

GSB Mandal, Wadala, said that they would postpone the celebrations to February 2021. A couple of days ago, Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray announced that Ganesh idols would not be more than four-feet tall this year. Also, the Maharashtra government put a blanket ban on processions.

Other festivals canceled or having a limited gathering

Jagannath Rath Yatra of Puri is currently happening with a limited number of devotees. Rath Yatra in Gujarat got canceled after High Court put stay on it for this year. Chithirai Festival in Madurai got cancelled in April. The UP and Haryana government withdrew Kanwar Yatra on 21st June. It is still uncertainty over Amarnath Yatra. The annual Ambubachi Mela at Kamakhya temple in Guwahati this year was also cancelled, which sees a congregation of a large number of seers from across the country, and temple priests performed the necessary rituals on the occasion without any gathering of devotees. Around 25 lakh devotees and sadhus had attended the mela last year. In the next few months, many festivals may see the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, including Saawan, Krishna Janmashtmi, Rakshabandhan, Navratri, Vijaydashmi, and Diwali.

Former attorney general Mukul Rohatgi refuses to represent Chinese video-sharing app TikTok in Supreme Court

OpIndia Staff
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Former attorney general Mukul Rohatgi refuses to represent Chinese video-sharing app TikTok in Supreme Court

The former Attorney General of India and senior advocate, Mukul Rohatgi has expressed his unwillingness to be a lawyer for TikTok and has said that he will not appear for TikTok before the Supreme Court as he doesn’t want to represent a Chinese company against the Government of India.

TikTok is challenging the decision of govt of India to ban it in the country, along with 58 other apps from China.

TikTok goes completely off play store

The popular Chinese video-sharing app TikTok has been banned by the government of India over security concerns. On Tuesday, the app was removed from Google Play Store and Apple store in India. Which means that new users cannot download the app until the ban is lifted if it is lifted. Moreover, existing users are unable to access the app.

The Chinese video sharing app banned in India

The government of India has announced a ban on 59 Chinese apps that were listed on the Google Play Store and the Apple iOS App Store in India over concerns that these apps were engaging in activities that threatened national security, defence of India, sovereignty and integrity of India. The list includes the popular short video service TikTok, which considers India as its biggest market, UC News from Alibaba Group, CM Browser, file sharing service Shareit, shopping app Shein, popular mobile game Clash of Kings, and more.

TikTok India released statement, claims does not share data with Chinese govt

Following the ban, TikTok’s India office had released a statement, in which Nikhil Gandhi, head of TikTok in India claimed that TikTok continues to comply with data privacy and security requirements and has not shared information of users to any foreign government including the Chinese government. 

However, since the Government of India did not concede to TikTok’s request to restore its services in India, the Chinese app has now decided to take the Government of India to court. However, displaying his patriotism towards the country, the former Attorney General of India has categorically refused to represent the Chinese app in the Supreme Court.

Mother of Aatish Taseer calls mother of a martyred soldier ‘BJP troll’, claims she is more patriotic because she grew up in ‘army stations’

OpIndia Staff
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Mother of Aatish Taseer calls mother of a martyred soldier ‘BJP troll’, claims she is more patriotic because she grew up in ‘army stations’

Tavleen Singh, who happens to be mother of writer and columnist Aatish Taseer who lost his OCI (Overseas Citizenship of India) card last year, has fallen further in grace in her public utterings as she insulted mother of a martyr earlier today.

After the Government of India banned 59 Chinese apps over security concerns, Singh had put up a ridiculous analogy and questioned whether banning these apps will ‘scare’ away the Chinese soldiers into retreating from our territory.

Meghna Girish, mother of a martyred soldier, called out her unsavoury comment and said how disrespectful it is of her to say something like this after our brave soldiers lost their lives.

However, Singh, thought of one-upping the patriotism against the mother of a martyred soldier by claiming that she’s more patriotic because she is daughter of a soldier and grew up in army stations. And since she knows people who have died for the country, she is more patriotic. “I don’t need to wear my patriotism in my Twitter handle like BJP trolls do,” she said.

To Meghna Girish’s polite disagreement, Tavleen Singh resorted to name-calling and accused her of being a ‘BJP troll’.

Tavleen has been petulant since her son, writer Aatish Taseer was denied OCI card because he had concealed that his father was of Pakistani origin. Taseer was given the opportunity to submit his reply/objections regarding his PIO/OCI cards, but he failed to dispute the notice. “Thus, Mr Aatish Ali Taseer becomes ineligible to hold an OCI card, as per the Citizenship Act, 1955. He has clearly not complied with very basic requirements and hidden information,” the MHA said.

However, ever since, the mother-son duo have upped their anti-BJP and anti-Modi tirade. So much that Singh had even endorsed global ummah and indulged in fear-mongering and spreading falsehood regarding the Citizenship Amendment Act. That she abused mother of a martyred soldier and called her a troll just goes out to show how highly they think of themselves and anyone questioning them is a ‘BJP troll’.

Meghna Girish is mother of Major Akshay Girish Kumar who had immortalised himself at Nagrota on 29th November, 2016 when terrorists attacked the Indian Army base. Singh’s son Aatish Taseer spends his free time displaying Hinduphobia and speaking the language of Islamists, the very people who killed his Pakistani father over blasphemy.

Bahuda Yatra: Lord Jagannath in Puri is returning to his temple today, read about the festival and rituals associated

OpIndia Staff
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Bahuda Yatra: Lord Jagannath in Puri is returning to his temple today, read about the festival and rituals associated

On the auspicious day of Devshayani Ekadashi, Lord Jagannath, his brother Lord Balbhadra and sister Devi Subhadra have begun their return journey to Shree Mandir from the Gundicha temple. The Jagannath Rath Yatra of Puri was commenced on 23rd June this year with a limited number of servitors amid the Covid-19 pandemic. The return journey or Bahuda Yatra will also have a limited number of servitors and is being conducted without the gathering of devotees or the general public.

The word Bahuda means ‘return’ in Odia.

After spending nine days in his aunt’s home, Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Devi Subhadra will return to their abode in the Puri temple today in their grand Rathas. Shree Mandir administration released the Yatra schedule according to which Bahuda Pahandi commenced at 8 AM and will continue till 10 AM. After that, Chera Panhara will take place between 10:30 AM and 11:30 AM, followed by the Bahuda Yatra.

Chhera Pahanra is the ritual where the Gajapati, the king of Utkala (Odisha’s ancient name) sweeps the Rathas of the Lord, a symbolic ritual conveying the meaning that Lord Jagannath is the true ruler of Odisha and the kind only serves under him.

Bahuda Yatra and associated rituals

There are many rituals involved in Bahuda Yatra. Mangal Aarti takes place early morning around 4:00 AM as the first ritual. After that, the priests perform Tadap Lagi and Rosa Homa. It takes around 30 minutes to complete both rituals and they are followed by Abakash and the Puja of Surya Dev. Before the Yatra, the priests worship the gatekeepers of the Lord Jagannath, known as Dwarpala Puja. It is followed by the Gopal Ballav and Sakala Dhupa that continues for about an hour. After that, the Senapatalagi ritual is performed. This is the time when chariots will begin their journey back to Shree Mandir.

The three grand Rathas will be pulled by servitors who have been already tested for COVID-19 cleared for the ceremony. The Yatras continue till afternoon and the Rathas are halted before the temple for two days. ‘Suna Besha’, where the three deities are decorated with a lot of gold ornaments, will take place on 2nd July, and Adhara Pana, on 3rd July. Niladri Bije, the final ritual where the deities are taken back to the Ratna Singhasana (‘Gemstone Throne’ in the sanctum sanctorum of the temple) will be conducted on 4th July to conclude the Ratha Yatra festival for this year.

File image of the Suna Besha or Rajarajeswar Besha, where the deities are adorned with hundreds of kgs of gold, via pragativadi

A victory of temple traditions

The Jagannath Rath Yatra is an age-old tradition. Every year thousands of devotees reach Puri to take part in the Yatra. Devotees pull three giant wooden chariots. Because of the coronavirus pandemic, only a limited number of people participated in the Rath Yatra. The Supreme Court of India banned the Rath Yatra in 18th June but later allowed the Yatra on 22nd June after widespread outrage and the temple administration’s assurance that the Yatra will be held without public gathering. The court asked the temple administration, state government, and central government to work together and ensure all the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Health are imposed during the Yatra.

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