Puri King, ISKCON meet to resolve Rath Yatra issue

BHUBANESWAR: Chairman of Shree Jagannath temple managing committee Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb on Monday urged the ISKCON governing body commission chairman not to hold Rath Yatra during different times of the year other than that mentioned in the scriptures.

At a meeting between the Puri king, ISKCON governing body commission chairman Guru Prasad Swain Maharaj and Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) officials at Puri, it was decided that scholars of both Srimandir and ISKCON will discuss the issue within a month and it will then be taken up at the governing body commission’s meeting in February.

“There was a detailed discussion between Gajapati Maharaj and Guruprasad Swain Maharaj on what is mentioned in the scriptures like Skanda Purana about Snana Yatra and Ratha Yatra. The ISKCON authorities assured us to take the issue up in their meeting which will be attended by their leaders from different countries. Hopefully, there will be a positive outcome,” said temple chief administrator Arabinda Padhee.