Bhubaneswar, July 7: Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb has appealed to President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to intervene over the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) organising Snana Yatra and Ratha Yatra celebrations in foreign countries on dates that he says are not in accordance with the traditional scriptures and customs associated with Lord Jagannath.
In separate letters dated July 4, 2026, the titular king of Puri expressed concern that ISKCON has continued to hold these sacred festivals on what he described as “untimely” dates in several countries. According to the Maharaja, such observances have hurt the religious sentiments of lakhs of devotees, particularly members of the Odia community living in India and abroad.
The Gajapati Maharaja informed the President and the Prime Minister that he had previously raised the issue through representations submitted on October 24, 2025, to the Prime Minister and on April 20, 2026, to the President. Copies of those letters, along with a list of ISKCON’s proposed overseas Snana Yatra and Ratha Yatra programmes, have been enclosed with his latest representations.
In his letter to the Prime Minister, the Maharaja stated that despite repeated protests from the Hindu community, especially Odias, ISKCON has continued to organise these festivals on different dates throughout the year in various countries, which he believes has caused widespread concern among devotees.
He further pointed out that Shankaracharyas and Vaishnavacharyas, regarded as among the highest religious authorities of Sanatana Vaidika Dharma, have consistently maintained that Lord Jagannath’s Snana Yatra and Ratha Yatra should be observed strictly according to the traditional scriptures and prescribed religious calendar.
The Gajapati Maharaja’s latest appeal underscores his continued efforts to preserve the sanctity, authenticity and centuries-old traditions associated with the rituals of Lord Jagannath, while urging the country’s highest constitutional authorities to address the matter in the interest of protecting the religious sentiments of devotees worldwide.
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