BHUBANESWAR: The Odisha Society of UK has expressed deep disappointment over the decision of ISKCON to conduct Snana Yatra at Watford and Rath Yatra in London in alleged deviation from the sacred scriptures and long-established traditions associated with Lord Jagannath.
Issuing a statement in this regard recently, the society said observance of these sacred festivals on non-prescribed dates had caused “profound sadness and spiritual concern” among Jagannath devotees worldwide.
Referring to a meeting held with Shree Nila Madhav Prabhu at Bhaktivedanta Manor, Watford, on May 2, the organisation alleged that though the interaction was ‘warm and uplifting’, ISKCON London decided to proceed with the festivals on dates differing from those prescribed in sacred texts and ancient practices.
It stated that observance of Snana Yatra and Rath Yatra on the prescribed dates was not merely a customary or regional practice but a ‘Divine Commandment’ originating from Lord Jagannath Himself and reiterated by Lord Brahma.
The Society further pointed out that these injunctions were compiled and preserved by Maharshi Vedavyasa in the Mahapuranas and associated scriptures, upheld by Jagadguru Adi Sankaracharya, honoured by Sri Chaitanya Deva at Nilachala Dhama and later propagated globally by His Divine Grace Srila Prabhupada during the early years of ISKCON’s Jagannath worship outside India.
The organisation stressed that celebrating these festivals on “random or non-prescribed dates” deeply hurts the religious sentiments of countless devotees for whom Lord Jagannath holds immense spiritual, cultural and emotional significance.
It also emphasised that considerations such as administrative convenience, organisational preference or perceived commercial motivations should not come at the expense of the sanctity and authenticity of Jagannath traditions and the preservation of Sanatan Dharma.
“Mutual respect, goodwill and trust amongst devotional communities can only flourish when sacred traditions and scriptural mandates are approached with sincerity and sensitivity,” it stated, while making a humble and earnest appeal to ISKCON and all institutions concerned to uphold the observance of Shree Jagannath’s Snana Yatra and Rath Yatra strictly in accordance with prescribed scriptural dates and time-honoured traditions.
