Puri conclave plans global outreach against ISKCON's 'untimely' Rath Yatra

Puri: A conclave held in Odisha's Puri, attended by devotees of Lord Jagannath from over 24 countries, has decided to create awareness across the world against the "untimely" Rath Yatra celebrations by ISKCON.

The three-day global conclave, organised by Shree Jagannath Chintan and Chetana Worldwide (SJCCW), concluded on Sunday.

It was inaugurated by Puri Shankaracharya and addressed by Gajapati Maharaja, the titular king of the holy town, Dibyasingha Deb.

"We will create awareness against the untimely conduct of Lord Jagannath's Rath Yatra abroad, deviating from the Hindu scriptures and puranas," said Bhagaban Panda, a trustee of SJCCW.

Kalaindi Tripathy, a representative from Japan, said there is no harm in conducting Rath Yatra in any place, but it should be held in accordance with the scriptures.

The management of the 12th-century shrine has been at loggerheads with the Mayapur-headquartered ISKCON over the issue for years. The ISKCON had earlier stated that it was not possible to hold the Rath Yatra on a single date or 'tithi' across the world because of logistics issues.

Addressing the gathering, Deb, the chairman of Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (SJTMC), expressed deep concern over ISKCON's "attitude".

"The ISKCON has denied holding Ratha Yatra as per the scriptures abroad. This is not acceptable to any Sanatani Hindu," he said.

According to scriptures, the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath is held annually on Asadha Shukla Paksha Dwitiya Tithi (June-July).

Deb also criticised the naming of the Jagannath temple in West Bengal's Digha as 'Jagannath Dham', stating that only the temple in Puri can be called a 'dham' as the lord resides there.

The Digha temple has been built as a replica of the Puri shrine by the West Bengal government and is managed by ISKCON.