Gajapati Maharaj Writes to ISKCON to Stop Untimely Ratha Jatra Celebration in US

Bhubaneswar: Puri’s Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb on Tuesday wrote a letter to the authorities of ISKCON requesting the organization to stop the celebration of Snana Jatra and rath Yatara of Lord Jagannath on November 3 and 9 respectively in Houston of the US it is against the scriptures. Puri’s Gajapati Maharaja is considered as the first servitor (Adya Sevak) of Lord Jagannath and he heads the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (SJTMC), Puri.

In his letter to ISKCON, the Gajapati Maharaja wrote, “It has come to our notice that ISKCON Houston Centre is organizing at Houston the Snana-yatra of Lord Jagannatha on 3rd November 2024 and Ratha-yatra on the 9th of November 2024. At the very outset, I wish to state that performing these sacred festivals on the aforesaid dates is contrary to scriptural injunctions and well-established tradition.” He added that the ISKCON devotees, who are sincere followers of the Vaishnava tradition, are expected to honour and ardently abide by the prescription of sacred scriptures and long-established religious traditions.

He referred to scriptures like the Skanda Purana and said that the Managing Committee of Shree Jagannatha Temple at Puri and he himself have long been urging the ISKCON to hold the sacred car festival of Lord Jagannath only during the period from the 2nd day (dwitiya) to the 12th (dwadashi) or 13th (trayodashi) day of the bright fortnight of the (shukla-paksha) of the month of Ashadha as per the traditional Hindu calendar, not on any other day. The Puri King also referred to a letter written to the Chairman, Governing Body Commission of ISKCON at Mayapur in this regard on February 26, 2008.

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