A day after, Mahant Dilipdas speaks out

June 24, 2020

Ahmedabad: In over 140 years of reported history of city, Rath Yatra procession couldn’t take place for the first time in Ahmedabad yesterday, adding gloom to already dull mood in the city. A day after, the temple has today gone public to indicate that it relied on Government’s guts and assurance, but a big game played with it.

Jagannath Mandir chief priest Mahant Dilipdasji Maharaj today told media persons, ‘a big game has been played with us. I put trust on a person and it proved wrong. We were given assurance till Mangla aarti (at 4.00 am on Rath Yatra day) and we put trust, but trust was breached.

Dilipdasji said, ‘We had made representation before the government and we were assured that like Puri, Rath Yatra procession will be taken out here also, but our trust was breached.’

Dilipdasji said the High Court Judges have given one-sided judgement and done injustice to us. The verdict was not dharmik one. Dharma and belief of crores of Hindus was not considered while delivering verdict.

‘This was a sad incident, and my heart is pained. A historical tradition has been broken. It’s my misfortune that I couldn’t bring Bhagwan Jagannath to the city and facilitate darshan to people,’ Maharaj said,

Mandir Trustee Mahendra Jha in reply to media questions said, ‘Chief Minister had told us that procession will be taken out but the High Court denied nod.

When asked why the State government didn’t give approval to temple’s application to hold Rath Yatra for weeks, Jha said, the government was doing survey and some containment zones were also removed on the route of Rath Yatra but Coronavirus cases were increasing and therefore the government delayed its decision.

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