Puri: Raising concern over what they termed ISKCON’s “deliberate deviations” from traditional practices, the authorities of the Jagannath temple in Odisha’s Puri said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been apprised of it, and legal recourse is being considered.
At a meeting of the ‘Aikya Sthapana Mandali’, chaired by Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, who heads the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (SJTMC), concerns were voiced over ISKCON organising Rath Yatra and Snan Yatra at dates not aligned with prescribed religious tithis.
Addressing reporters, Deb said such practices have hurt the sentiments of millions of devotees of Lord Jagannath.
“We have apprised the prime minister about how centuries-old traditions are being disregarded by organising ‘off-calendar’ Rath Yatras across the world. Taking legal recourse may be our last option,” he said.
The temple authorities also plan to take up the matter with the Ministries of External Affairs and Culture, besides writing again to ISKCON’s headquarters in Mayapur.
According to Deb, ISKCON had, in October 2025, assured that it would refrain from holding “off-calendar” Snan Yatra globally and Rath Yatra in India, but has not adhered to that commitment.
A joint statement issued by Deb and Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) chief administrator Arabinda Padhee claimed that ISKCON conducted “off-calendar” Rath Yatras at 79 locations and 10 Snan Yatras, in deviation from scriptural norms.
Reiterating their appeal, the authorities urged ISKCON to ensure that major festivals such as Rath Yatra and Snan Yatra are observed strictly on the tithis prescribed in sacred scriptures and ancient traditions.
Questioning the deviations, Deb said, “How can anyone alter the birth day of the Lord, observed on ‘Jyeshtha Purnima’ as Snan Yatra? Can the birth dates of figures like Lord Krishna, Lord Rama, Jesus Christ or Prophet Muhammad be changed?”
He emphasised that scriptures mandate the observance of Rath Yatra on ‘Ashadha Shukla Dwitiya’, though rituals may be conducted within a seven-day window — not on arbitrary dates.
Meanwhile, the temple administration released the festival calendar for 2026–27, beginning with ‘Mahavisuva Sankranti’ on April 14, and appealed to Jagannath temples worldwide to at least observe key annual festivals in accordance with prescribed tithis.
While acknowledging practical constraints in replicating all rituals performed in Puri, the authorities stressed that adherence to the correct dates for major festivals remains essential to preserving tradition.
PTI
