Puri: Puri Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb has strongly criticised ISKCON for holding untimely Rath Yatras, calling it a ‘number 1 propaganda.
Speaking at a programme organised by the Shree Jagannath Chetana Research Institute on Sunday, he emphasised that it’s time for acharyas and devotees to voice their opinions, warning that if they remain silent, ISKCON will continue to organise unauthorised Rath Yatra events.
Dibyasingha Deb strongly condemned ISKCON’s practice of holding Rath Yatra on non-scriptural dates, calling it a significant source of religious misinformation. Despite discussions and providing scriptural evidence, ISKCON hasn’t changed its stance.
“We can’t hold Janmastami or Gurupurnima on any date; similarly, Rath Yatra can’t be whimsical. If we don’t speak out, how can we promote Jagannath culture?” he said.
The Gajapati Maharaja emphasised that ISKCON’s actions are hurting devotees’ sentiments worldwide and urged them to reconsider their decision. He stressed that Rath Yatra should be celebrated strictly according to scriptural injunctions.
“Holding Rath Yatra on dates not sanctioned by scripture is a significant source of religious misinformation. ISKCON’s decision to disregard the traditional timeline has set a precedent, and other groups are following suit. Despite having discussions, ISKCON remains unmoved. Last October, ISKCON made it clear that it would not conduct the Rath Yatra as per its prescribed scriptural timeline. The Srimandir Jagannath Temple Administration’s efforts to discuss the issue with ISKCON have yielded no results. The chairman of the governing body commission at Mayapur was invited for a discussion, which also failed.”
He also maintained that “A meeting was held in Bhubaneswar, attended by intellectuals from ISKCON and Puri Jagannath temple, where ISKCON scholars presented papers defending their stance on holding untimely Rath Yatra. They dismissed the Srimandir scholars’ arguments against it.”
“Besides, our Odia brothers are participating in and donating to these unauthorised events, which will become a bad tradition. Rath Yatra should be celebrated according to scriptures,” he said.
