Bhubaneswar:13/7/21: In view of the prevailing Covid-19 pandemic situation, the Odisha government in the interest of the health of the general public ordered that no Kaudias/Bol Bom devotees will be allowed to congregate, carry water from religious places or any other sources and also not allowed to walk on public roads and pour water in temples/Lord Shiva temples during the Odia month of Shravan (July/August), 2021.
An order in this regard was issued by the office of the Special Relief Commissioner.
This for the second consecutive year, the Odisha government had prohibited Bol Bom yatra on account of Covid-19 pandemic.
In the Odia month of Shravan, people carry water from some religious places, walk barefoot for several miles and put water in Shiva Temples on each Monday of this month and these people generally referred to as, Bol Bom devotees or Kaudia start their journey on Saturday/Sunday/Monday by collecting water from one religious place and walk till Monday morning and pour the collected water on a Shiva Linga in some other temples on Monday.