Rath Yatra Date Row: ISKCON Rejects Puri Temple’s Appeal Over Festival Timing

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has rejected a request from the Shree Jagannath Temple in Puri to reconsider its decision of holding Rath Yatra and other Jagannath festivals on different dates across the world , keeping its global festival schedule unchanged.

ISKCON informed Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, chairman of the Shree Jagannath Temple Managing Committee (SJTMC) , that it would not accept the appeal seeking changes in the dates of Jagannath celebrations. In its response to the July 4 letter, ISKCON said it “respectfully bows out of this discussion once and for all.”

The Gajapati Maharaja , who is the titular king of Puri and the first servitor of Lord Jagannath , had written to ISKCON Governing Body Commission (GBC) chairman Madhusevita Dasa , urging the organisation to reconsider its October 19, 2025 decision that allowed temples outside India to conduct Rath Yatra on dates chosen throughout the year.

Deb had requested that all ISKCON temples worldwide observe Snana Yatra only on Jyestha Purnima and that its temples in India celebrate Rath Yatra within the traditional nine-day festival period beginning from Ashadha Shukla Paksha Dwitiya Tithi .

He clarified that the temple authorities were not demanding that ISKCON follow only one particular date, as scriptures allow the chariot festival to be observed during the nine-day period . However, he expressed concern over changing traditional festival timings followed at the 12th-century Jagannath Temple in Puri .

Comparing religious traditions, Dibyasingha Deb said established dates of major religious occasions are not changed and questioned whether dates associated with other faiths could similarly be altered.

Defending ISKCON’s position, Yudhistir Govinda Das , the organisation’s country director of communications and national spokesperson, said the purpose of Rath Yatra according to scriptures is that Lord Jagannath comes out to bless everyone .

He said ISKCON has been spreading Jagannath culture for nearly 60 years across more than 100 countries , including places where Hindu traditions have little presence.

The disagreement between the Puri temple authorities and ISKCON has continued for nearly two decades, with the temple maintaining that Jagannath festivals should follow traditional religious calendars while ISKCON highlights the global outreach aspect of the celebrations.