Puri: Eminent sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik has appealed to External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar to intervene in the matter of ISKCON organizing Rath Yatra and Snana Yatra on dates that do not align with the traditional tithi followed by Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri.
In a tweet on Saturday, Pattnaik requested the Minister to direct Indian Embassies and High Commissions worldwide to respect the sacred lunar calendar and rituals of the Puri temple before associating with such events organized by ISKCON.
He highlighted that despite repeated appeals from the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) and Gajapati Maharaja, ISKCON continues to celebrate the festivals on different dates, which he said hurts the religious sentiments of millions of devotees of Lord Jagannath across the globe.
Pattnaik’s appeal comes after the Indian High Commissioner to Kenya, Adarsh Swaika, participated in the Rath Yatra celebrations organized by ISKCON Nairobi. The tradition of Rath Yatra in Kenya dates back over four decades.
The sand artist emphasized that the Puri temple follows a strict traditional tithi for all rituals, and any deviation causes distress to lakhs of devotees who consider the Puri Rath Yatra as the original and most sacred one. This is not the first time concerns have been raised regarding the dates of Rath Yatra celebrations by various ISKCON centres outside India.
“Despite repeated appeals from @SJTA_Puri and its Chairman, Gajapati Maharaj, ISKCON continues to organize Rath Yatra and Snana Yatra in many countries on dates that do not follow the sacred _tithi_ of Shree Jagannath Temple, Puri.Kindly advise Indian Embassies and High Commissions to give due consideration to the traditional tithi and rituals of Shree Jagannath Temple, Puri before associating with such events. This concerns the religious sentiments of millions of Mahaprabhu Shree Jagannath devotees worldwide”, read his post.
