Puri king warns of legal action against ISKCON

PURI king Gajapati Dibyasingha Deb on Tuesday said legal options will be explored if International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) did not adhere to the religious calendar and established traditions of Shree Jagannath temple of Puri for Rath Yatra.

Addressing mediapersons here, Gajapati said ISKCON should adopt a resolution on holding festivals and rituals of the holy Trinity in all its temples across the world as per the scriptures like 'Skanda Purana' and record of rights of the Shree Jagannath Temple.

His statements came in the wake of ISKCON's Houston chapter deciding to host Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath on November 9 this year.

The Puri Gajapati said the governing body commission of ISKCON will be approached to take steps and prevent untimely holding of Snana Purnima and Rath Yatra outside India as it did for ISKCON temples within the country in 2021. "If required, legal options will be explored to prevent untimely celebration of two of the most important rituals of the Trinity - Snana Yatra and Rath Yatra - by ISKCON," he added.