Untimely Rath Jatra: Puri Gajapati Maharaja To Intervene With Missive To ISKCON

Puri: Gajapati Mahahara of Puri Dibyasingha Deb will personally intervene to stop the practice of untimely Rath Jatra by International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).

This was decided by Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee at a meeting here on Wednesday.

Talking to mediapersons after the meeting, chief administrator of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) Krishan Kumar said that the ISKCON will have a meeting at Mayapuri in New Delhi in April this year and it will attended by heads of all its branches in the country and abroad.

“It has been decided that a letter signed by the Gajapati Maharaja will be sent to the meeting to apprise the ISKCON authorities of his grave concern and notify the authorities concerned to stop holding such untimely Rath Jatra,” he said.

He also said that the meeting took note of the suggestions of the senior servitors to take up the matter with the Odisha government so that a bill to this effect is passed in the State Assembly.

Referring to the private auction of the Koili Baikuntha area and the Anand Bazar inside the temple premises, the chief administrator said it has been decided that henceforth the temple administration will review the auction process. “Our objective is not to scale up the temple revenue, but to ensure smooth darshan of the Lords by the devotees coming from far and wide,” he pointed out.