ISKCON plans Rath Yatra in US, Puri temple authorities say it is ‘untimely’

Priests say that all rituals of the Lord across the world should be observed following religious practices held at Puri

Bhubaneswar: The Jagannath temple authorities in Puri will take up the matter with the Indian authorities of ISKCON over its plan to hold an “untimely Rath Yatra” in the US, Odisha Law Minister Prithviraj Harichandan said.

He said several socio-cultural organisations met him and expressed concern over the plan of ISKCON’s Houston unit to conduct Lord Jagannath’s ‘Snan Yatra’ (bathing festival) and Rath Yatra (chariot festival) in November, deviating from the normal practice at the temple in Puri where it is held a few months back at a stipulated time period.

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Many people including priests of the Jagannath temple are of the opinion that all rituals of the Lord across the world should be observed following religious practices held at Puri, the Law Minister said on Monday. The Puri Jagannath temple falls under the jurisdiction of the State government’s Law Department.

“The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration will hold talks with ISKCON and I hope a positive result will emerge,” Harichandan said. According to the website of ISKCON’s Houston unit, the ‘Snan Yatra’ and ‘Rath Yatra’ will be held on November 3 and 9, Sunday and Saturday, respectively.

According to the practice in Puri, the ‘Snan Yatra’ is conducted on the full moon in the month of ‘Jyeshtha’, usually in June. Similarly, the Ratha Yatra or chariot festival is observed on the second day of the bright fortnight of the ‘Ashadha’ month, which falls in June or July.

The ISKCON Houston unit website said, “This re-enactment of the famous Rath Yatra parade, also celebrated as the Festival of Chariots, is rooted in ancient India’s bhakti (devotional) tradition. It has been observed annually for more than 3,000 years in the holy city of Puri in Odisha, India, making it the world’s longest-running street festival.” When contacted, the ISKCON Temple in Bhubaneswar said it has nothing to comment on the matter.

“We have absolutely no idea,” a senior priest of the temple of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) here said.