Puri: To safeguard the sanctity of ancient Jagannath Temple traditions, Puri Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb has written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, seeking Centre’s intervention to halt the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)’s practice of organising “off-calendar” Rath Yatras and related festivals at multiple global locations.
The chairman of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee raised the issue during a meeting of the ‘Aikya Sthapana Mandali’ held on Saturday at the Jagannath Temple administration office. He expressed deep concern, in a subsequent press conference, over unscheduled celebrations, which deviated from the scriptural and traditional rituals followed at the original seat of worship in Puri.
According to the Gajapati, information available online indicates that around 80 “off-calendar” Rath Yatras and 10 Snana Yatras are planned globally before December. He cited advice from religious scholars, including Nischalananda Saraswati, emphasising that the Rath Yatra must strictly adhere to the Ashadha Shukla Dwitiya tithi as per sacred texts. Both the state and central governments, he stressed, share the responsibility of preventing such deviations that could undermine the religious sentiments of Sanatan Dharma followers.
The Puri King revealed that he had personally written to the Prime Minister two days earlier. He added that the temple administration would take up the issue with the Union ministries of culture and external affairs, and would once again write to the Iskcon-Mayapur authorities.
He further noted that ISKCON had informed in writing that it will not organise off-calendar Snana Purnima or Rath Yatra events in India, with no such instances reported since 2025. However, global events outside the traditional June-July timeframe continue to draw criticism.
The Gajapati appealed to devotees of Sanatan Dharma in Odisha and beyond to stay vigilant on the issue.
Previous meetings, including one in March 2025, involved discussions with ISKCON representatives, and the temple administration has issued detailed documents outlining scriptural reasons for fixed dates tied to specific tithis, such as Jyestha Poornima for Snana Yatra. ISKCON had then defended its flexible approach for international observances, citing its own interpretations and the need to accommodate devotees worldwide.
Meanwhile, the meeting also decided that the Jagannath Temple calendar will come into effect from the upcoming Pana Sankranti. All temples dedicated to the deity across India are expected to align their rituals and festivals with those observed at the Puri temple.
Temple chief administrator Aravinda Padhee and other officials attended the meeting.
