ISKCON accused of spreading misinformation against Jagannath culture

Bhubaneswar: The titular king of Puri, Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, on Monday accused the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) of spreading “misinformation” against Shree Jagannath culture and called upon religious scholars and devotees to oppose the holding of “untimely” Rath Yatra.

'Jagannath culture' refers to the traditions, rituals, and philosophical beliefs surrounding the worship of Lord Jagannath, the key deity in Odisha.

Deb, who is also the chairman of Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (SJTMC), the highest decision-making body of the Puri shrine, said conducting Rath Yatra on dates not sanctioned by scriptures amounted to serious deviation from established tradition and posed a threat to the sanctity of Jagannath culture.

The comments of Deb, regarded as the first servitor of Lord Jagannath, came in the backdrop of ISKCON stating that it was not possible to hold Rath Yatra on a single date or 'tithi' across various countries because of logistics issues.

“Holding untimely Rath Yatra is a serious deviation. ISKCON has been violating scriptures and Shree Jagannath tradition. This has set a very dangerous trend which is now being followed by others, weakening the sanctity of Jagannath culture,” he said.

The Gajapati Maharaja was addressing a congregation of the Shree Jagannath Chetana Research Institute here on Sunday evening.

He cautioned the people of Odisha and across the country against what he described as deviations from scriptural injunctions in the name of propagating Jagannath culture.

According to scriptures, Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath is held annually on Asadha Shukla Paksha Dwitiya Tithi (June-July). However, ISKCON, in a letter to the SJTMC, has said it would not be possible to conduct the globally celebrated Rath Yatra on one specific date.

The organisation, however, agreed to observe 'Snan Purnima' ritual on a single day worldwide in line with the tradition of the Mool Peeth at Puri.

“The practice of holding Rath Yatra on dates not sanctioned by scriptures has emerged as one of the most serious misinformation campaigns against Shree Jagannath culture,” Deb said.

“In the name of propagation of Jagannath culture, there are rampant violations and spread of misinformation. In October this year, ISKCON expressed its view that it will not hold Rath Yatra as per the date prescribed by scriptures,” he added.

Observing that the Odia people are peace-loving and tolerant, the titular king said the time had come for religious scholars and devotees to express their views firmly.

“Silence could encourage further deviations. If objections are not raised strongly, untimely observances could gradually become normalised,” he said, adding that several rounds of negotiations with ISKCON had not yielded results.

He asserted that Rath Yatra must be observed strictly in accordance with scriptural injunctions and the long-established customs of the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri.

In a letter dated October 19 to the SJTMC, ISKCON Governing Body Commission Chairman Govardhan Das said the organisation had agreed to celebrate Snana Yatra on the prescribed tithi of Jyestha Purnima in all its temples in India and abroad.

However, he said, ISKCON was unable to agree with the SJTMC’s decision to celebrate Rath Yatra outside India on the tithi prescribed by scriptures and tradition.

Explaining its position, ISKCON said that aligning international Rath Yatras with the Puri tithi posed “insurmountable challenges”.

“In most countries outside India, worship of Lord Jagannath is followed by a small minority, and permissions for processions are difficult to obtain. Most government authorities in the West allow such processions only on weekends to avoid disruption to commercial activities,” the letter said.