Bhubaneswar: Even though many religious events have been cancelled breaking age-old tradition of Hindu deities due to COVID-19 pandemic this year, the Sital Sasthi Jatra of Lord Lingaraj will be held in Bhubaneswar.

The annual festival Sital Sasthi, which celebrates the divine marriage of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, will be conducted on May 27, as per the decision taken at a preparatory meeting of the Lingaraj Temple administration.

A letter will be written to the State Government via Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) Commissioner seeking permission for conducting Sital Sasthi, informed BMC Additional Commissioner Abani Kanta Patnaik.

However, the wedding event of Lord Shiva and Maa Parvati will be a low key affair due to COVID-19.

The age-old practice at the Lingaraj Temple will not be broken this time. All the rituals to celebrate the festival will be performed. However, the festival will be held by following the lockdown guidelines, he said.

It is worth to be mentioned that the marriage of the divine couple is solemnised on the sixth day of fortnight of the Hindu month of ‘Jyestha’ every year. The festival is celebrated to welcome the much-awaited monsoon.

This year, devotees were disappointed after the temple administration suspended annual Rukuna Ratha Jatra and Chandan Jatra of Lord Lingaraj due to nationwide COVID-19 lockdown.