Puri, July 6 -- In a major development aimed at preserving centuries-old religious traditions, the Puri Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingha Deb, serving as the Chairman of the Shree Jagannatha Temple Managing Committee, has issued an urgent letter to the Governing Body Commission (GBC) of ISKCON.

The communication, addressed directly to ISKCON GBC Chairman Shree Madhusevita Dasa Prabhu, strongly objects to the practice of conducting "untimely" or off-season Snana-yatra and Ratha-yatra celebrations across global centres.

Following a comprehensive review by the Shree Jagannatha Temple Administration (SJTA) scholars panel, the managing committee has mandated strict adherence to Vedic scriptures like the Skanda Purana. It includes that Snana-yatr...