Bhubaneswar: Sudarsan Pattnaik Urges Jaishankar To Intervene Over ISKCON's 'Off-Schedule' Rath Yatra Abroad
Sand artist says observance in Kenya on a different date from Puri's annual festival has hurt devotees' religious sentiments: Reports
BHUBANESWAR: Internationally acclaimed sand artist Sudarsan Pattnaik on Saturday appealed to external affairs minister S. Jaishankar to intervene in the controversy surrounding ISKCON's reported observance of the Rath Yatra in Kenya on a date different from the traditional festival held in Puri.
Pattnaik alleged that the event was organised on a date that did not coincide with the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Puri. He also claimed that officials of the Indian High Commission participated in the procession by pulling the chariot and shared photographs of the event through the mission's official social media handles.
Expressing concern, Pattnaik said the celebration of the festival on a different date had hurt the religious sentiments of millions of Lord Jagannath devotees. He urged the ministry of external affairs to look into the matter and take appropriate steps.
Pattnaik further claimed that ISKCON had not heeded repeated appeals by the Gajapati Maharaja of Puri and the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) to align overseas Rath Yatra celebrations with the traditional schedule observed in Puri.
The issue has reignited a long-running debate over the timing of ISKCON's Rath Yatra celebrations outside India, with traditional stakeholders in Odisha maintaining that the festival should follow the calendar observed at the Jagannath Temple in Puri. ISKCON, however, has historically organised Rath Yatra processions worldwide according to its own schedules and logistical considerations.
The ministry of external affairs and ISKCON had not issued any immediate response to Pattnaik's appeal at the time of filing this report.
