BHUBANESWAR: Puri king Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb on Sunday rejected the claim of ISKCON-India that the worldwide Rath Yatra conducted by it has the sanction of scriptures.
The ISKCON on Saturday stated that scholars of the organisation and Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) had held discussions in the presence of Gajapati, where it was conclusively proved with reference from scriptures and Puranas that its Rath Yatra festivals are fully permitted and in complete accordance with the Sashtras.
The Gajapati, who is also chairman of Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee, termed such claims as false and misleading. He said the information shared by ISKCON about his attending the Rath Yatra in Berlin in 1991 was misleading and the SJTA will issue a detailed clarification on Monday.
Gajapati stated that ISKCON had invited him to a conference in Berlin. While in Berlin, he came to know that ISKCON was conducting a Rath Yatra there. “The claim that permission was given for the Rath Yatra is completely false,” he said. He added that after returning, he had personally discussed thematter with ISKCON, hoping they would agree. But they did not.
Gajapati said the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee took a decision to oppose the Rath Yatra in 2007 after it was found to be against tradition. Representatives of the temple administration also stopped attending the programmes of the ISKCON. The organisation is trying to create a wrong perception, he alleged.
A statement issued by ISKCON on Saturday said the essential purpose of Rath Yatra, as described in the Sashtras was that Lord Jagannath would come out of temple to shower his blessings on all without any discrimination. “ISKCON has carried forward this universal spirit during the last 60 years by spreading the culture of Lord Jagannath not only in India, but in more than 100 countries where exposure to Hindu traditions is often limited,” it stated.
Stating that the ISKCON holds the SJTA in high regard, the organisation said in deference to this it has aligned its Rath Yatra timings in India with considerable effort despite the significant impact on its preaching programmes. “ISKCON has successfully fulfilled this mission by transforming lakhs of individuals from America, Russia, Africa, South America and other regions into dedicated Jagannath Bhaktas,” it said.
Meanwhile, ISKCON-Bhubaneswar president Saswata Dasa voiced his opposition to holding untimely Rath Yatra. He also disapproved of the behaviour of ISKCON towards Gajapati. Dasa urged the governing body commission of ISKCON to reconsider the issue and take into account the religious sentiments of the people. “We want Rath Yatra to be held on a single date at every place,” he said.