Why ISKCON's Rath Yatra dates in the middle of the row with Puri's Jagannath Temple

A fresh controversy has resurfaced regarding the celebration of Lord Jagannath’s Rath Yatra when Puri Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb again asked the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) to strictly follow the traditional festival calendar observed at the Jagannath Temple in Odisha.

According to PTIPuri’s titular king, Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, wrote to ISKCON to stop holding Rath Yatra and Snana Yatra on dates that are not in accordance with Hindu scriptures. His call comes amid ongoing disputes between the temple administration and ISKCON over the scheduling of Rath Yatras outside India.

The question is when the festival is to be celebrated. The Jagannath Temple, Puri follows the Hindu lunar calendar, with the Snana Yatra observed on “Jyestha Purnima Tithi” and the annual Rath Yatra starting on “Ashadha Shukla Paksha Dwitiya Tithi”, where the dates may change each year based on the Tithi.

According to PTIGajapati Maharaja argued that while the manner of celebrating the festival may vary according to local circumstances, the dates themselves cannot be changed as they are prescribed by the scriptures. Dibyasingha Deb, in his latest submission to a committee of ISKCON’s governing body, said the date change threatens the sanctity of one of Hindu’s most revered festivals. He argued that the tradition of Jagannath had been followed for centuries and should remain uniform worldwide.

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Why does ISKCON celebrate Rath Yatras on different dates?

According to PTIISKCON argues that holding Rath Yatras outside India presents practical problems that often make it difficult to observe the festival exactly according to the tithi observed in Puri. The organization has previously said that permits for public processions in several countries are only granted on weekends or on dates approved by local civic authorities. Other logistical factors, including road closures, crowd management and local regulations, also affect the planning of overseas Rath Yatras.

ISKCON has argued that the celebrations held abroad are meant to spread devotion to Lord Jagannath and are not meant to replace or change the meaning of the original Rath Yatra in Puri.

According to PTIThe organization has already agreed to observe the Snana Yatra on the scripturally prescribed date in its temples. However, differences persist in the planning of Rath Yatra processions in several countries.

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Disagreement is not new. According to PTIPuri Gajapati has repeatedly written to ISKCON over the past few years urging it to align overseas celebrations with the traditional calendar. He had also earlier appealed to the President and Prime Minister of India to intervene. As chairman of Shree Jagannath temple management committee, Dibyasingha Deb said that observing the Rath Yatra on different dates could cause confusion among devotees and dilute the centuries-old religious traditions associated with the Puri temple.

The issue was also debated by the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), which consistently maintained that festivals associated with Lord Jagannath should be observed in accordance with scriptural precepts. For ISKCON, however, the challenge lies in balancing religious tradition with the practical realities of organizing large public processions in various countries, where permits and civil ordinances often dictate the dates when such events can take place.

According to PTIPuri Gajapati’s latest appeal aims to resolve the long-standing dispute through dialogue while ensuring that Rath Yatra celebrations around the world remain as much as possible in line with the traditions observed at the Jagannath Temple in Puri.