ISKCON Announces ‘Untimely’ Rath Yatra, Disappoints Jagannath Devotees

Puri: Turning a deaf ear to the criticism and warnings issued by Sri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), ISKCON is all set to organise an untimely Rath Yatra in the state under the name Hare Krishna Festival on March 18.

A poster inviting devotees for the festival was spotted in Mathura and has gone viral on social media platforms.

As per reports, the poster of the festival shows a chariot, which is similar to Lord Jagannath’s chariot Nandighosha, used during Puri Rath Yatra.

Condemning the poster and the festival, senior Daitapati, Binayak Das Mohapatra said, “The managing committee of Srimandir has called meetings at least twice or thrice to put a ban on conducting such a Rath Yatra. Unfortunately, the outcome of the meetings have been disappointing.”

“No one, neither Gajapati Maharaj of Puri nor the Shankaracharya has shown any real effort to curb this attempt of hurting the sentiments of Hindus,” added Mohapatra.

Mohapatra alleged that some servitors in the temple have teamed up with ISKCON for organising such festivals.

Srimandir servitors, religious scholars and Jagannath devotees want the car festival of Lord Jagannath to be organised only during the Hindu month of Asadha across the world.

Earlier, ISKCON had conducted an untimely Rath Yatra in Mumbai on January 30, 2019.