Minister hopes ISKCON will drop untimely Rath Yatra plan

Bhubaneswar: Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan on Saturday said he was optimistic that ISKCON would not go ahead with its plan to hold “untimely” Rath Yatra on November 9 at Houston in the US. The minister said the ISKCON has already stopped the proposed ‘Snana Yatra’ (bathing ritual) on November 3 following a letter by Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee headed by Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb.

Harichandan said he was optimistic that ISKCON won’t go ahead with the Rath Yatra plan on November 9 in Houston. The ISKCON’s plan has created an outrage among the devotees of Lord Jagannath who opposed the move and urged the Odisha government to intervene in the matter.

Gajapati Maharaja had written letters to the chairman of the governing body commission, ISKCON Mayapur and the president of ISKCON temple, Houston, urging them to adhere to the ‘tithi’ (date) as per the scripture and tradition and cancel the Rath Yatra scheduled for November 9.

ISKCON’s Houston unit website has removed its plan to hold the Snana Yatra on November 3. However, the website, still mentions the Festival of Bliss-Rath Yatra to be held from 10 am to 4 pm on November 9.

According to the practice in Puri, the ‘Snan Yatra’ is conducted on the full moon in the month of ‘Jyeshtha’, usually in June.

Similarly, the Rath Yatra or chariot festival is observed on the second day of the bright fortnight of ‘Ashadha’ month, which falls in June or July.