Last Saturday night, the 400-year-old Rath Mela in Dhamrai, a fair integral to the Hindu Rath Jatra Utsab and the biggest Rath Jatra festival of the country, was shut down by the police over what it called “security concerns”, the fair stalls forcibly dismantled, visibly destroyed, and their owners beaten up.

Amidst strong police presence, Dhamrai Hindus celebrated Ulto Rath Jatra (reverse journey) festival yesterday like their peers across the country.