US Rath Yatra | Untimely rituals a stunt, will lead ISKCON to failure: Puri seer

Bhubaneswar, Oct 30 (PTI) Shankaracharya of Govardhan Peeth, Swami Nischalananda Saraswati, on Wednesday disapproved of ISKCON’s plan to hold ‘untimely’ Rath Yatra in the USA, and asserted that such “stunt” would not help them in any manner.

The seer’s statement came in wake of the outrage among Lord Jagannath’s devotees over the decision of ISKCON’s Houston unit in the USA to observe ‘Snan Yatra’ (bathing ritual) and ‘Rath Yatra’ on November 3 and 9 respectively, deviating from the normal practice at the temple in Puri where it is held a few months back at a stipulated time period.

“They (ISKCON) know the ritual. Holding untimely rituals of Lord Jagannath is just a stunt to gain popularity. This is not going to benefit them in any manner. They are deliberately violating the tradition. This will only lead them to failure,” Shankaracharya said.

Meanwhile, Odisha’s Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said that earlier the ISKCON had committed that all their programmes related to the Jagannath culture and festivals will be observed following the guidelines issued by the authorities of the Puri Jagannath temple.

Several socio-cultural organisations had met the law minister and expressed concern over the plan of ISKCON’s Houston unit. The Puri Jagannath temple falls under the jurisdiction of the state government’s law department.

Harichandan said, “I was going through few letters sent by All India Chief of ISKCON, Mayapur, to all ISKCON temples, that as far as any function, festival, rituals are concerned, they will be guided by the president of 'shri mandir' (Puri Jagannath temple).

“Keeping that in view, the president of managing committee, Maharaj Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb, has written a letter to ISKCON. I think they will reconsider the decision on untimely Rath Yatra.” Puri’s titular king Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb on Tuesday requested the president of ISKCON Temple in Houston and the chairman of the Governing Body Commission at ISKCON Mayapur in West Bengal to reconsider the timing of the Rath Yatra in Houston.

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 'Ashadha' month, which falls in June or July. PTI