Puri: Puri Gajapati Maharaj Dibyasingha Deb, has objected to ISKCON devotees celebrating Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra ‘throughout the year’ outside India, calling it ‘inappropriate’, thus against tradition and scriptures.
He said talks are ongoing with ISKCON’s head office in West Bengal to stop such practices.
“There is a specified date for that in our Sanatan Vedic culture, and it is celebrated only on Jyeshtha Purnima. We are seeing that ISKCON is celebrating the birthday on different days abroad… This is inappropriate, against the scriptures and tradition. Shree Jagannath Temple, Puri is making efforts for this,” he told ANI.
This comes at a time when Odisha is working towards obtaining a copyright on the rituals at the Shree Jagannath Temple, to protect them from being repeated elsewhere without permission.
“Whether it is the Rath Yatra or Snan Yatra of Lord Jagannath, the dates are decided by the Lord himself in Skanda Purana, Brahma Purana and different holy scriptures. The Snan Yatra is the day of his appearance,” the Gajapati Maharaj said.
He referred to how ISKCON had agreed to follow scripture-based traditions in India, and no violations were seen in recent years.
“After criticism, ISKCON agreed to celebrate the Snan Yatra and Rath Yatra as per the scriptures in India and there has been no violation for two to three years. But outside India, ISKCON is celebrating Snan Yatra and Rath Yatra throughout the year. This is inappropriate, against the scriptures and tradition. Shree Jagannath Temple is making efforts for this,” he said.
“Discussions are underway with the ISKCON head office in Mayapur, West Bengal, as to how to stop this. We hope that they get information and scriptural evidence from the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri and stop this violation outside India, because this hurts the religious and spiritual sentiments of all the devotees of Lord Jagannath in the world,” Deb added.
When asked about the restriction on non-Hindus entering the Shree Jagannath Temple, he said that if any change has to be made, it has to come from the Shankaracharya.
“Currently, there is no discussion regarding it. One needs to go to the Shankaracharya about this. This is a religious matter, and only a Dharmaguru can make any decision on it; only then can there be any changes. I cannot say anything about it. The established tradition is that only Hindus have the right to enter,” he said.
The Gajapati Maharaj also spoke about the increasing footfall at the annual festival and called on the government to provide better facilities.
“The number of devotees is increasing each year. This year, the number of devotees during the Rath Yatra was nearly 15 lakh. The government should make the required arrangements for accommodation, security and other facilities. The number of devotees this year was much more than expected. Lakhs of people attended the rituals during the nine days of the Rath Yatra. I am sure the state government will provide better facilities,” he said.
His statement is important as an unprecedented stampede near the Gundicha Temple claimed three lives and left several others injured on June 29.
On the decision to pull the chariots at night, Deb said there is no official restriction, but safety must be considered.
“As per the government directions, if the chariots reach near the temple, then they can be pulled during the night. According to the Skanda Puran, the chariots should be pulled even in the night, using thousands of torches if needed, to get them to the Temple. There is no restriction on pulling the chariots at night. But for the safety of the devotees and to avoid mishaps, it is not appropriate to pull the chariots at night,” he said.
