Puri Jagannath temple draws PM Modi’s attention to ISKCON holding 'untimely' Rath Yatra

Bhubaneswar: Puri’s titular king Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb has drawn the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the alleged deviation of the ISKCON from scriptures while holding “untimely” Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath across the world, an official said on Monday.

The move came after the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) informed the Gajapati Maharaja that it was not possible to hold Rath Yatra on a single date or 'tithi' across various countries because of logistics issues.

“As per our information, Gajapati Maharaja has apprised the matter (untimely Rath Yatra by ISKCON) to the Prime Minister’s Office. They are not abiding by the norms laid down by scriptures on holding the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath,” Arabinda Padhee, the chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), said.

Padhee told reporters that the SJTA, which is responsible for the daily functioning of the 12th-century shrine in Puri, will act as per the decision of the state government and the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (SJTMC) headed by Gajapati Maharaja.

The SJTMC is the highest decision-making body of the Puri Jagannath temple.

While addressing a congregation of the Shree Jagannath Chetana Research Institute here on Sunday evening, Deb accused the 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 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.

“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.

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 ISKCON has, 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,” 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.