My City Links: July 2021 Issue

Rath Yatra Remains As Engaging & Immersive As Ever

The Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra is an

event of faith for millions across the

world. The ongoing pandemic has

entailed strict health Covid-19 pro-

tocols for a second year running. But

this has done little to dampen the enthusiasm of

the devout. In our Cover Story, we look at why

the Rath Yatra remains as engaging and as im-

mersive as at any other time in the annual event’s

history. This has as much to do with history, tra-

ditions and memories as with the religious signif-

icance of an event that is bound to be bigger than

anything else around due to its intrinsic nature.

From a prominent ‘tiger state’ in the 70s, when

Khairi was a well-known name in wildlife and

conservation circles, Odisha has seen a gradu-

al fall in interest when it comes to talking about

tigers. In a special feature, this edition looks at

three tigers that have their own significance in

contemporary Odisha.

A solemn occasion for devout Muslims across

the world, Eid-ul-Zuha is a time to recall the im-

portance of sacrifice. With the Covid-19 pan-

demic casting a shadow over the religious event

for the second year in a row, we take a close look

at what different aspects associated with this

special occasion mean.

This is one 17-year-old who is striking all the

right notes at a very young age. Meet Shreya

Lenka, the Odia girl who is the only finalist from

India in the audition for a place in Blackswan, the

globally-acclaimed K-pop girl group from South

Korea.

Another youngster making a mark, albeit in a

completely different field, is Sujit Meher. An Odia

designer based in Bengaluru, he is making Odia

handloom global by promoting it in international

markets.

It is well over a century but an iconic short sto-

ry by Fakir Mohan Senapati on women’s rights

and empowerment continues to be relevant

in this day and age. Written in 1898, the ideas

discussed in ‘Rebati’ continue to resonate. Read

more about it in a special feature.

In ScreenShots, we remember Tapu Mishra

who passed away last month due to post-Covid

complications. The Ollywood fraternity joins us

in paying tribute to the popular singer after her

untimely demise and talks about her work and

her life. Elsewhere in this edition, we speak to a

health expert to understand the psychological

impact of the disease and how to deal with it.