The Puri district administration on Saturday announced the withdrawal of the ban on the entry of people from other districts at the Swargadwar cremation ground in the pilgrim town for the last rites of the dead.
It may be recalled here that since May the sea-facing Swargadwar crematorium at the pilgrim town had been shut for last rites of the ‘dead’ from other districts in view of the raging 2nd wave of COVID-19 cases. The prohibition is being lifted from 16 August.
It was a temporary measure initiated in view of the pandemic. Now it is being lifted from 16 August. However, people who wish to cremate their dead at Swargadwar have to strictly abide by the COVID-19 protocol and have to follow Covid appropriate behaviour. The cremation of bodies of Covid-infected is however strictly prohibited at the cremation ground. Only ten family members will be allowed to cremate the body at the cremation ground, Puri Collector, Samarth Verma said.
The ban on entry of people from other districts for cremating their dead had been clamped to stave off overcrowding to arrest the spread of the disease. Only the people from Puri district were allowed to cremate the bodies of their loved ones, he added.
The sea-facing Swargadwar, literally meaning the gateway to heaven, is the busiest cremation ground in the State drawing people from all parts of the State to cremate the dead. The followers of the Jagannath cult are of the firm belief that people cremated here make their way to heaven with their sins reduced to ashes on the pyre.