<span style="color: #222222;">The Gujarat High Court has dismissed all six petitions including one from the State Government seeking permission to take out the annual Rath Yatra procession in Ahmedabad city. The Gujarat Government said that the Supreme Court itself modified its earlier order on the issue with a view to balancing the interests of religious sentiments and public safety amid the pandemic situation in Odisha. However, after the marathon online hearing till late midnight, the  Division Bench of Chief Justice Vikram Nath and Justice J B Pardiwala opined that Jagannath Puri-Odisha and Ahmedabad are not comparable.<br />''<br />''Earlier, the State Government assured various measures to the court such as curfew till 11 a.m. on Rath Yatra route and completion of Rath Yatra procession by that time. Government also assured for no stoppage of Rath Yatra anywhere on the route to Saraspur and returned with only three chariots. Jagannath Mandir Trust also assured that the chariots will be pulled by tractors for faster movement and only five persons per chariot will be allowed with social distancing.<br />''<br />''However, the court in its late night judgment opined that Yatra should move inside the temple campus only. Court opined that there is no meaning of taking out a procession in the absence of people. Government should bother about protecting people's lives in this pandemic. The faith cannot be so fragile to break, if Yatra doesn't take place. AIR, Ahmedabad correspondent reports that this is for the first time in 143 years that Ahmedabbad Rath Yatra is not held on its traditional route due to COVID pandemic.</span><br />