Puri Temple Chief Asks ISKCON to Stop Holding Rath Yatra on 'Random Dates'

Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb , chairman of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (SJTMC), has urged the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) to stop organising Lord Jagannath's Snan Yatra and Rath Yatra on dates that deviate from scriptural prescriptions, saying such practices hurt the religious sentiments of devotees.

In a letter to Shree Madhusevita Dasa Prabhu , chairman of ISKCON's Governing Body Commission (GBC) in Mayapur, Deb called for a review of the organisation's October 2025 decision and asked that Rath Yatra be celebrated worldwide only during the traditional nine-day festival period.

The 12th-century Jagannath Temple in Puri , regarded as the mool peeth (original seat) of Lord Jagannath, has repeatedly urged ISKCON to observe Snan Yatra only on Jyestha Purnima and Rath Yatra from Ashadha Shukla Paksha Dwitiya , in line with scriptures and temple traditions.

Deb said ISKCON had earlier assured the temple it would observe Snan Yatra on the prescribed date but has continued to organise the festival on different dates in several countries. He also objected to ISKCON's reported plan to hold 66 Rath Yatras across Madhya Pradesh between July 16 and July 25 , arguing that the schedule falls outside the scripturally sanctioned festival period.

The controversy reflects a long-running dispute between the Puri temple administration and ISKCON over the global observance of Jagannath festivals. While the Puri temple insists that Rath Yatra and Snan Yatra must strictly follow scriptural dates , ISKCON has maintained that climatic conditions, government regulations and local cultural factors in some countries make adherence to the traditional calendar impractical.

The annual Rath Yatra is one of Hinduism's most revered festivals, with the Puri temple regarded as the highest authority on Jagannath traditions and temple customs .