Udupi: The famous Paryaya festival celebration at Udupi will be a low-key affair this time, due to COVID-19 restrictions. Paryaya festival is the handing over of the rights to worship Lord Krishna for a two-year period at the Udupi temple. The festival marks the commencement of the two-year term when the Swamiji, among the eight pontiffs of Udupi Krishna Math, will take charge of the daily pooja to Lord Krishna.
Sri Vidyasagara Teertha Swamiji of Krishnapura Math will ascend the Paryaya Peetha on January 18. While the event is one of the major celebrations in Udupi with massive procession and the grand ‘Paryaya Darbar,’ attracting thousands of people, the organising committee led by Udupi MLA Raghupathi Bhat has decided to conduct it in a simple manner amid COVID.
The Paryayothsava Samithi which held an emergency meeting on Saturday has taken a decision in this regard.
“Due to the rise in COVID cases, the government has taken various precautionary measures. Sri Vidyasagara Tirtha Swamiji has directed to follow the guidelines and cooperate with the district administration. Thus the ‘Paryaya Darbar,’ and procession will be held in a simple manner,” Raghupathi Bhat said.
“The event will be telecasted on TV and social media. Devotees are requested to make use of this,” he said.
Some tableaux set by the Utsava Samithi and Kannada and Culture Department have been cancelled. The procession will include only the palanquins carrying the deities, Swamijis and the teams of traditional musical instruments along with a few tableaux. The seats will be limited at Paryaya Darbar.
