Untimely Rath Yatra: Puri Jagannath Temple Admin Warns ISKCON Of Legal Action

Puri: The Jagannath Temple Administration here has warned International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) of legal action if it continues to conduct untimely Rath Yatra.

It followed the recent cart festival organised by the organisation in Mumbai, which had sparked resentment among Jagannath devotees in Odisha.

A meeting to discuss this issue was held at the office of Shree Jagannath Temple Administration(SJTA) in Puri on Sunday. It was attended by members of the SJTA, Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee members, Jagannath culture experts and servitors, sources said.

They demanded strict adherence to Skanda Purana and other religious scriptures for conducting Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath during the Hindu month of Asadha.

The meeting also decided that a memorandum would be submitted with the ISKCON, asking it to not conduct the annual Rath Yatra on a different date.

Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee member Sachidananda Das Maharaj said that a  report based on the culture of Lord Jagannath will be prepared and given to ISKCON to make it aware of the significance and intrinsic details of the annual festival.

Legal action will be initiated if the organisation refuses to adhere to it, he added.

The SJTA will also write to Gajapati Maharaj Dibyasingha Deb and apprise the Odisha government of the mater.