In a significant development, the Orissa High Court has intervened to ensure the smooth conduct of a major cultural festival in Nayagarh district. The court has issued a directive to the district collector, instructing him to grant necessary permissions for the four-day "Bhapur Mahotsav and Pallishree Mela" within a strict two-day deadline.
Court Steps In After Permission Denial
The legal intervention came after the festival organizers were forced to approach the judiciary. Their petition challenged a December 15, 2025 order issued by the Nayagarh sub-collector. This order had denied permission to hold the beloved annual cultural festival at its traditional venue, the Balunkeswar Dev Bidyapitha playground in Bhapur.
According to sources familiar with the case, the initial denial was based on the fact that an application from a different group seeking to organize the same mahotsav was still pending before the authorities. This created a deadlock that threatened to disrupt the long-standing event scheduled from January 10 to January 13, 2026.
A Compromise Paves the Way Forward
During the hearing on Wednesday, a practical solution emerged. Senior advocate Prafulla Kumar Rath, representing the petitioner organization, presented a crucial concession to the court. He informed the single-judge bench of Justice S K Panigrahi that his clients were willing to modify their schedule.
The organizers agreed to shift the festival dates from the originally proposed January 10-13 to a new window of January 12 to January 15, 2026. This flexibility became the key to unlocking the impasse.
Administration's Conditional Nod and Court's Final Order
Acting on a prior directive from the court, the Nayagarh collector appeared virtually. He stated that the district administration had no objection to the event being held on the revised dates. However, he attached a critical condition: the organizers must strictly adhere to all norms and conditions laid down for maintaining law, order, and public safety during the large gathering.
Taking note of the cooperative stance from both parties, Justice Panigrahi delivered a clear verdict. The bench directed the collector to recall the earlier December 15 order that had denied permission. The court's final instruction was unequivocal: grant formal permission for the Bhapur Mahotsav within the next two days, allowing the cultural celebrations to proceed as planned on the new dates.
This ruling highlights the judiciary's role in balancing administrative procedures with the preservation of cultural traditions, ensuring that a popular community event is not halted without substantial cause.
