COVID-19 casts shadow on ISKCON's Kolkata Rathyatra

The novel coronavirus outbreak

has cast a shadow on ISKCON's Rathyatra festival in the city that attracts more than 10 lakh devotees every year, a spokesperson of the organisation said on Sunday.

With a week left for Akshay Tritiya, the auspicious day when construction of the three chariots pulled during the Rathyatra begins, the ISKCON-Kolkata centre is bracing for "scaling down or cancellation" of the nine-day festival scheduled to begin on June 23.

"There are 50-50 chances for cancellation of the festival. Even if it takes place, it will be a scaled-down event. If the lockdown is further extended beyond May 3, organising the festival will be difficult.

"If we see that the disease continues to spread, we will ourselves cancel the Rathyatra," ISKCON-Kolkata Centre vice president and spokesperson Radharaman Das told PTI.

The Kolkata Rathyatra of ISKCON is organised in coordination with the state government. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had flagged off the festival last .