Jagannath Temple, ISKCON Rath Yatra date row explained

Jagannath Temple, ISKCON Rath Yatra date row explained

The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) in Puri has rejected the International Society for Krishna Consciousness's (ISKCON) claims that holding Rath Yatra on random days was as per Hindu scriptures.

The temple body accused ISKCON of misleading devotees globally, saying the claims were "absolutely false."

Puri's titular king, Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, has written to ISKCON asking them to stop "untimely" celebrations outside India, but the latter rejected the appeal, saying it considered the matter closed.

'False statements' in ISKCON's press release: SJTA

The dispute escalated after ISKCON's National Communications Office in New Delhi issued a press release on July 12, 2026, defending its scheduling practices.

The SJTA accused the release of containing false statements and misleading the public about the "untimely" Shree Jagannath Rath Yatra.

In a statement on Tuesday, the temple administration firmly dismissed any suggestion that ISKCON's processions held outside prescribed dates were permitted under Hindu scriptures or shastras.

Dispute over Rath Yatra dates

The SJTA stated that during a conference in Bhubaneswar on March 20, 2025, ISKCON experts attempted to justify organizing Rath Yatra on other dates outside of India by citing scriptural references.

SJTA claimed that its experts had disproved such arguments using legitimate scriptures and Puranic texts.

Jagannath temple authorities are insisting that the Rath Yatra be held only during the nine-day period from 'Asadha Sukla Dwitiyatithi' of the Hindu calendar, as mentioned in the Skanda Purana.