ISKCON won’t go ahead with its plan to hold Rath Yatra: Odisha Law Minister

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has stopped the proposed Snana Yatra and they won’t go ahead with the Rath Yatra plan, said Odisha Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan on Saturday. 

The ISKCON whipped up controversy with its Houston unit in the US announcing to hold the Snana Yatra and Rath Yatra of the Holy Trinity on November 3 and November 9 respectively. 

This created a widespread resentment among devotees and servitors. The situation came to such a pass that Puri Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb had to write letters to the chairman of the governing body commission, ISKCON Mayapuri and the president of ISKCON temple, Houston, asking them to cancel the Rath Yatra scheduled for November 9.

Following this, ISKCON’s Houston unit is learnt to have cancelled its plan to hold the Snana Yatra on November 3. 
But, on its website, while there is no information relating to the Snana Yatra, it still mentions the Festival of Bliss-Rath Yatra to be held from 10 am to 4 pm on November 9. 

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As it has not deleted the information regarding the Rath Yatra, it is still believed that it may go ahead with its plan. 
However, Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan believed that they wouldn’t proceed with their plan to hold the Rath Yatra. 

“The government had advised the Sri Jagannath Temple Managing Committee to let ISKCON know its views. Accordingly, the committee asked ISKCON not to do anything which would cause confusion. I think they have accepted it and stopped the Snana Yatra and the following festivals. I don’t think they will go ahead with the Rath Yatra,” said the Law Minister.