Meeting between ISKCON India Scholars Board Representatives and the Sri Jagannath Temple Management Authorities

By Tukaram Das, Vice President, ISKCON Bhubaneshwar, March

A significant and insightful meeting took place yesterday, March 23, 2025, between His Majesty the Gajapati Maharaja Dibya Singh Dev, the revered King of Puri, who was accompanied by the Shri Jagannath Temple (Puri, Odisha) Chief Administrator, Shri Arvind Padee, IAS, and representatives of the ISKCON India Scholars Board (IISB) at Bhubaneshwar, the capital of the Indian state of Odisha.

Scholars from both ISKCON (the International Society for Krishna Consciousness) and the Jagannath Temple (literally “Lord of the Universe,” Lord Krishna) engaged in deep discussions on the sacred traditions of Lord Jagannath’s worship and the global propagation of His glories.

His Majesty and the temple authorities deeply appreciated ISKCON’s unwavering efforts in spreading Sanatana Dharma and Lord Jagannath’s message and worship worldwide.

Discussion Topics

The topic of the discussions was the observance of the dates of the annual Sri Jagannath Rathayatra (Festival of the Chariots) and the bathing ceremony, “Snaan Yatra,” that precedes the Rathayatra.

The Gajapati Maharaja and his supporters contend that ISKCON must conduct these festivals on the exact same dates as at Puri, citing evidence to this effect from the Skanda Mahapurana, a historical text accepted by most followers of Vedic Sanatana Dharma.

ISKCON’s scholars presented well-reasoned arguments, raising several critical questions that remained unanswered by the scholars on the Gajapati Maharaja’s side on this issue.

Still, the temple authorities humbly requested that ISKCON conduct the Jagannath Ratha Yatra as per the Tithi (dates as per the lunar calendar) mentioned in the Skanda Purana, in alignment with the traditions followed at Sri Jagannath Mandir in Puri.

Recognizing the depth of the discussion, His Majesty affirmed that this dialogue will continue, paving the way for greater understanding and alignment with scriptural injunctions to ensure that Lord Jagannath’s divine pastimes are upheld in their purest form.

Here is the list of persons in the group photo, as I have been able to ascertain with everyone’s help. Left to right:

• ⁠ ⁠Bhakta Lohit Behera (Bhubaneswar)
• ⁠ ⁠Rupeshwar Damodara Das (Bhubaneswar)
• ⁠ ⁠Arjuna Sakha Das (IISB)
• ⁠ ⁠Bhakta Ashutosh Jena (Bhubaneswar, behind Arjuna Sakha, to his left)
• ⁠ ⁠Sridhar Srinivasa Das (IISB)
• ⁠ ⁠Krishna Kirti Das (IISB, Convenor)
• ⁠ ⁠Premananda Das (Bhubaneswar)
• ⁠ ⁠Tukaram Das (Bhubaneswar)
• ⁠ ⁠Mukunda Datta Das (IISB, Head Scholar)
• ⁠ ⁠Vidvan Gauranga Das (IISB)
• ⁠ ⁠Rama Aprameya Das (IISB)
• ⁠ ⁠Satwatpati Das (Bhubaneswar, President)
• ⁠ ⁠Gajapati Maharaja Dibyasingh Deb (the King)
• ⁠ ⁠Chaitanya Jivan Das (IISB)
• ⁠ ⁠Vanamali Das
• ⁠ ⁠Dr. Aravind Padhee, IAS (Chief Administrator JTSA)
• ⁠ ⁠Prof. Atul Kumar Nanda
• ⁠ ⁠Prof. HareKrishna Satapathy
• ⁠ ⁠Prof. Naresh Dash
• ⁠ ⁠Pujya Baba Sachidananda Das
• ⁠ ⁠Pandit Biswambhar Dash
• ⁠ ⁠Prof. Pyarimohan Pattanayak
• ⁠ ⁠Daitapati Durga Dasmohapatra

Hare Krishna! Jaya Jagannath!