ISKCON Defers Its November Rath Yatra Plan In Ludhiana

Bhubaneswar/Ludhiana: The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) on Monday deferred its plan to hold Rath Yatra in Ludhiana, Punjab, in November.

In a press release, the ISKCON said, “Respecting the mood, sentiments and request of Sri Jagannath Seva Samiti, ISKCON Ludhiana has decided to postpone the November 17, 2019 Rath Yatra festival to the Ashada Sukla Ditiya of 2020 to coincide with the Rath Yatra festival day in Puri.”

Two outfits – Sri Jagannath Sena and Sachetan Nagarika Manch – had lodged an FIR at at the Singhadwara police station in Puri against ISKCON, alleging that they had hurt the religious sentiments of millions of Jagannath devotees by deciding to observe the annual sojourn of the Lords in Ludhiana on November 17.

Similarly, an organisation in Rourkela had lodged a complaint with Chhend Police against  ISKCON worker Amit Garg’s derogatory statement on Puri Rath Yatra.

On September 6, the Jagannath Temple Managing Committee had decided to hold Rath Yatra in other parts of Odisha and outside as per the schedule followed in Puri.

Khandapada MLA Soumya Ranjan Patnaik had also raised the issue in Odisha Assembly and asked the state government to take it up with its Punjab counterpart.