Former Puri King objects to ISKCON performing Rath Yatra rituals

India Gazette

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Bhubaneswar (Odisha) [India], July 13 (ANI): The former King of Puri, Gajapati Dibyasingh Deb, has objected to ISKCON devotees celebrating Lord Jagannath's Rath Yatra 'throughout the year' outside India, calling it 'inappropriate', thus against tradition and scriptures.
He said talks are ongoing with ISKCON's head office in West Bengal to stop such practices.
'There is a specified date for that in our Sanatan Vedic culture, and it is celebrated only on Jyeshtha Purnima. We are seeing that the ISKCON is celebrating the birthday on different days abroad... This is inappropriate, against the scriptures and tradition. Shri Jagannath Mandir Puri is making efforts for this,' he told ANI.
'Whether it is the Rath Yatra or Snan Yatra of Lord Jagannath, the dates are decided by the Lord himself in Skanda Purana, Brahma Purana and different holy scriptures. The Snan Yatra is the day of his appearance,' he added.
Earlier, Dibyasingh Deb said ISKCON had agreed to follow scripture-based traditions in India, and no violations were seen in recent years.
'After criticism, the Indian ISKCON agreed to celebrate the Snan Yatra and Rath Yatra as per the scriptures, and there has been no violation for two to three years. But outside India, ISKCON is celebrating Snan Yatra and Rath Yatra throughout the year. This is inappropriate, against the scriptures and tradition. Shri Jagannath Mandir Puri is making efforts for this,' he said.
He added that discussions are underway with ISKCON's Mayapur head office to stop these practices abroad. 'Discussions are ongoing with the ISKCON head office in Mayapur, West Bengal, as to how to stop this. We hope that they get information and scriptural evidence from the Jagannath Puri temple and they stop this violation outside India, because this hurts the religious and spiritual sentiments of all the devotees of Lord Jagannath in the world,' the erstwhile king of Puri added.
Asked about the long-standing restriction on non-Hindus entering the Jagannath Puri temple, he said any change must come from the Shankaracharya.
'Currently, there is no discussion regarding it. One needs to go to the Shankaracharya regarding this. This is a religious matter, and only a Dharmaguru can make any decision on it; only then can there be any changes. I cannot say anything about it. The established tradition is that only Hindus have the right to enter,' he said.
The former Puri King also spoke about the increasing footfall at the annual festival and called on the government to provide better facilities.
'The number of devotees is increasing each year. This year, the no. of devotees during the Rath Yatra was nearly 15 lakhs. The government should make the required arrangements for accommodation, security and facilities. The no. of devotees this year was much more than expected. Lakhs of people attended the rituals during the nine days of the Rath Yatra. I am sure the state government will provide good facilities,' he said.
His comments come after a stampede during the Rath Yatra on June 29, which left three people dead and several injured.
On the decision to pull the chariots at night, he said there is no official restriction, but safety must be considered.
'As per the government directions, if the chariots reach near the temple, then they can be pulled during the night. According to the Skanda Puran, even in the night, the chariots should be pulled using thousands of torches, if needed and make the Rath reach the temple anyhow. There is no restriction on pulling the chariots at night. But for the safety of the devotees and to avoid mishaps, it is not appropriate to pull the chariots at night,' he said.
On July 7, large numbers of devotees gathered in Puri for the sacred 'Adhara Panna' ritual, where Lord Jagannath, along with his siblings Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra, was offered a special drink on the chariot. The ritual is one of the most significant events of the Rath Yatra celebrations.(ANI)