BHUBANESWAR: The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has turned down Puri king Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb’s request to align the observance of Lord Jagannath’s Snana Yatra and Rath Yatra in overseas centres with the sacred tithis prescribed by scriptures and followed at the Puri shrine.
In its response to the Gajapati’s July 4 letter, ISKCON governing body commission (GBC) chairman Madhusevita Dasa said the organisation would not revisit its position on the issue.
“There is no more to add, and therefore we respectfully bow out of this discussion once and for all,” he wrote, ruling out any reconsideration of ISKCON’s decision to conduct Rath Yatra outside India on dates adhering to the Srimandir’s calendar.
The Gajapati, who chairs the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (SJTMC), had urged ISKCON to review its October 19, 2025 resolution allowing flexible dates for the festivals abroad. He had suggested that the manner of celebrations may vary depending on local circumstances but the religious calendar governing the festivals is immutable.
In his letter, the Gajapati reiterated that Snana Yatra is ordained to be observed on the Jyestha Purnima tithi, while Rath Yatra begins on Asadha Shukla Paksha Dwitiya as laid down in Jagannath temple rituals.
“The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) has firmly stated that while it is permissible to adapt or modify the manner of celebrating these sacred Yatras on the basis of “desh-kala-patra nyaya”, it is not permissible under any circumstances to alter the tithi of the Yatras,” he added.
The Gajapati said conducting the festivals on dates that depart from the traditional calendar hurts the religious sentiments of millions of Jagannath devotees across the world and undermines the sanctity of long-established temple traditions. He appealed to ISKCON to discontinue the practice and synchronise overseas observances with the ritual calendar followed at the Puri temple.
The matter was also been taken up with the country’s highest constitutional authorities. On July 4, the Gajapati wrote separately to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging them to initiate appropriate steps to stop ISKCON from conducting Snana Yatra and Rath Yatra on random dates by violating the prescribed tradition of Shree Jagannath temple.
