In the interest of public health and safety of citizensduring the outbreak of COVID19, the Supreme Court of India stayed the annualRath Yatra and other rituals this at Puri in Orissa, said Supreme Court ofIndia (SC).

"We restrain the state from holding the Rath Yatra and associated activities. We direct that there shall be no Rath Yatra and associated activities this year", the bench headed by Chief Justice of India (CJI) Sharad Arvind Bobde ordered.

The SC bench also said, "Lord Jagannath won't forgive us if we allow this year's Rath Yatra, such huge gathering can't take place during the pandemic."

The yatra was scheduled to be held on June 23.

The order was passed in a plea by an NGO Odisha VikasParishad which had pointed out the public health risk involved if the annualevent is allowed to take place.

The yatra involves pulling the chariot of Lord Jagannath ashe comes out of his temple. This activity involves close contact between thepeople, which violates the social distancing norms.