Bhubaneswar, (Orissa Today), Nov 5: Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb announced on Tuesday that legal action would be taken against the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) if the organization does not refrain from conducting an untimely Rath Yatra for Lord Jagannath.
This statement comes amid controversy surrounding ISKCON’s proposed first annual Festival of Bliss, the Sri Jagannath Ratha Yatra, scheduled for November 9 at the American Legion Park in Houston. Despite Deb’s earlier correspondence to the chairman of ISKCON’s governing body, requesting adherence to traditional dates sanctioned by scriptures for the Rath Yatra and Snana Yatra, the event remains listed on their website.
During a press conference, the Puri king, who chairs the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee, emphasized that such deviations from tradition offend millions of Jagannath devotees worldwide. “While ISKCON canceled its plans for the Snana Yatra of the deities on November 3, there has been no announcement regarding the Rath Yatra in Houston,” he stated. “Lord Jagannath should only be taken out of the temple for the Snana Yatra and Rath Yatra, as mentioned in the Skanda Purana. ISKCON is encouraged to promote ‘Vaishnav dharma’ globally, but not by conducting these untimely celebrations.”
Deb further noted that ISKCON has been organizing untimely Rath Yatras since 1967, beginning in San Francisco, and cited similar events held in Ludhiana and Delhi in 2007. He expressed disappointment that, despite ongoing discussions leading to a cessation of such festivals in India since July 2021, the practice persists abroad.
