ISKCON Declines Puri Gajapati Request to Align Overseas Rath Yatra Dates
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), which operates in Mumbai, has defended its practice of hosting the Lord Jagannath Rath Yatra on dates different from the traditional Puri temple calendar, declining a request to align its overseas celebrations with the sacred tithis. The decision was confirmed following a response to a letter dated July 4 and a statement issued by the organisation on Saturday.
The dispute over the scheduling of the Rath Yatra remains unresolved. Puri's Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, who serves as the Adya Sevaka of Lord Jagannath and chairs the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee, had urged ISKCON to align its overseas observances of Snana Yatra and Rath Yatra with the sacred tithis prescribed by the Jagannath temple tradition.
In his response to the Gajapati's July 4 letter, ISKCON Governing Body Commission (GBC) chairman Madhusevita Dasa declined to revisit the organisation's policy. He wrote that there was nothing more to add and that the organisation would respectfully bow out of the discussion once and for all, ruling out any future reconsideration of its decision.
In its statement issued on Saturday, ISKCON asserted that its scholars had held discussions with scholars of the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) in the presence of the Gajapati Maharaja. The organisation stated that references from the Puranas and other scriptures established that its Rath Yatra festivals are fully permitted and conducted in accordance with the shastras.
The Gajapati had requested ISKCON to review its October 19, 2025 resolution permitting flexible festival dates abroad. He maintained that while the manner of celebrations may vary according to local circumstances, the religious calendar governing the festivals is immutable. He reiterated that Snana Yatra must be observed on Jyestha Purnima and Rath Yatra on Asadha Shukla Paksha Dwitiya, warning that altering the dates hurts the sentiments of millions of devotees.
ISKCON maintained that the essence of the festival is to allow Lord Jagannath to bestow blessings on all devotees. The organisation explained that while it follows the traditional Puri temple calendar within India, overseas celebrations face practical constraints, including administrative permissions, weather conditions, and local regulations, which make scheduling flexibility necessary.
