Puri King asks ISKCON in US not to hold untimely Rath Yatra

Bhubaneswar: Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb of Puri wrote to the president of ISKCON Temple in Houston and the chairman of the Governing Body Commission at ISKCON Mayapurto reconsider the timing of the upcoming Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in the United States.

In a letter to Saranga Thakur Dasa, president of ISKCON Houston, Deb, who is also the chairman of Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee in Puri, asserted the importance of adhering to sacred scriptures and long-established traditions.He requested that the Snana Yatra, scheduled for November 3, and the Rath Yatra, planned for November 9, be postponed and celebrated on the dates sanctioned by religious traditions.

Deb said, “… having regard to sacred scriptures, long established tradition and the religious sentiments of devotees around the world, I urge upon your organisation to postpone holding Snana Yatra on November 3 and Rath Yatra on November 9, 2024 and hold these most holy festivals on the ‘tithi’/dates sanctioned by scriptures and tradition.”

Noting that ‘Snnan Yatra’ marks the birthday of Lord Jagannath, Puri’s titular king, who is also considered as the first servitor of Lord Jagannath, said, “Under no circumstances will any devotee of Shree Krishna ever think of celebrating Janmashtami on any day of the year contrary to scriptures and tradition. Why are we then doing so in the case of Lord Jagannath?”

The Puri King’s letter to ISKCON came in wake of an outrage in the State after news spread that they are holding Rath Yatra and Snnan Yatra in November.

Meanwhile, Odisha’s Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said that earlier the ISKCON had committed that all their programmes related to the Jagannath culture and festivals will be observed following the guidelines issued by the authorities of the Puri Jagannath temple.

Several socio-cultural organisations had met the Law Minister and expressed concern over the plan of ISKCON’s Houston unit. The Puri Jagannath temple falls under the jurisdiction of the State government’s Law department.

Harichandan said, “I was going through a few letters sent by All India Chief of ISKCON, Mayapur, to all ISKCON temples, that as far as any function, festival, rituals are concerned, they will be guided by the president of ‘Shri Mandir’ (Puri Jagannath temple).

“Keeping that in view, the president of managing committee, Maharaja Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb, has written a letter to ISKCON. I think they will reconsider the decision on untimely Rath Yatra.”