ENARADA, Bengaluru, July 28, 2016
The Jagannath Rath Yatra has kicked up a row in Bengaluru with International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) deciding to conduct the Yatra on July 2 instead of July 6.
The decision of the ISKCON has enraged the Odiya community in Bengaluru who has taken an online route to criticise the move.
View of ISKCON Jagannath Temple at Seshadripuram, Bengaluru. Photo by www.enarada.com
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Hara Prasad Mohapatra, one of the Odiya community members said, “We came across an advertisement from ISKCON, Seshadripuram of conducting “Sri Jagannath Rath Yatra” on 2nd July 2016. This is against the tradition of Lord Jagannath rituals. Actually the Yatra should be celebrated in the” Month of Ashadha Diwitia Day” which falls on 6th July this year and the Jagannath temples across the world celebrate the Rath Yatra on 6th July 2016 itself except ISKCON. ISKCON seems to be fooling Lord Jagannath Devotees and playing with the emotion of the millions of devotes of Lord Jagannath. On behalf of true devotes of Lord Jagannath, we condemned this act by ISKCON and request all the devotees to be careful about their wrong doing. We tried to protect the same on their Facebook page www.facebook.com/sjmblr. When ISKCON officials found it was going out of their hand, they deleted not only our post but also removed the page from Facebook. This clearly shows that they had knowledge of their wrong doing.” He further added that all the rituals related to Lord Jagannath were written in a holy script-“Madala Panji” which is followed strictly by all the temples including the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), Puri. “The act of ISKCON is nothing but their way of creating supremacy”, he alleged requesting the devotees not to encourage such Raths.
However, ISKCON administration has a different story to narrate and said they had revised the dates bowing to the pressure from the bhakts who had five-day work pressure and wanted the Rath Yatra to be held on weekends so that it is easy for them to attend.
Speaking to Enarada.com, Rhakale Krishnadas, senior devotee and office bearer of ISKCON Seshadripuram said Deva snana purnima to deities were held according to rituals and there is no deviation from any rituals except the change in date.
“Let me clarify that we don’t have any intention of hurting anyone and we are ones who strictly adhere to traditions and rituals. This year, owing to huge number of requests from the devotees that they could participate in large numbers if the Rath Yatra was held on weekend, we decided to conduct the Rath Yatra on July 2 and this is no way of hurting any community,” said, Rakhale Krishna Das.
Dear Mr. Rhakale Krishnadas, with due respect to you, i just want to inform you that doing the Festival before or after the actual festival day is same as doing it without proper rituals. You just mentioned that you are doing the Ratha Ytara because of the people asked you or requested you to do it on a weekend so that they can attend. But I am surprised to know this. As a true Jagannath devotes ( As you people claimed) how you agreed to do the Ratha Yatra 4 days before the actual Rath Yata day. It is not only strongly condemned by the Odia people staying in and around Bangalore. But it got condemned by the Gajapati Of Puri, the first Sevaka of Lord Jagannath Puri and the Puri Jagannath temple Administrator when we had informed them about this. We dont mind you doing Ratha Yatra some other day. But request you again not to call it as Jaganntah Rath Yatar. it is our duty to tell you or request you not to do the wrong thing. it is upto you to decide whether to do it or not to satisfy the people those who want to do it on weekend. Again Mr. Das, it is not the way to spared Jaganntah Culture. But by doing this you are playing with the sentiment and playing with lord.. Jai Jagannath!!!!!