BHUBANESWAR: The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), Houston, has reportedly withdrawn its plans to hold the Snana Yatra of the Trinity on November 3.
Sources said although it has removed the event from its website, the Houston wing continues to post about Rath Yatra of the Trinity on November 9 even as Puri king Gajapati Divyasingha Deb had written to it to abstain from untimely celebration of Snana Yatra and Rath Yatra.
Following the Gajapati’s intervention, the ISKCON Houston is learnt to have cancelled its Snana Yatra event. Law minister Prithiviraj Harichandan hoped that the ISKCON believers would not proceed with their plan to organise Rath Yatra. “The state government had advised the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee to let ISKCON know its views on the untimely celebration of Lord Jagannath’s festivals. Accordingly, the committee asked ISKCON not to proceed with the festivals. They have stopped the Snana Yatra and I hope they will not go ahead with the Rath Yatra,” said the Law minister. He added that there should be coordination among the organisations that believe in the Jagannath culture as far as festivals of the Trinity are concerned.
Meanwhile, the temple servitors have threatened to prevent entry of ISKCON devotees into the Srimandir if the Houston wing does not stop the Rath Yatra on November 9. They said if ISKCON does not abide by the scriptures and rituals of Srimandir in Puri, such action will be taken.