Gurpreet Singh :- The Shri Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA), Puri, has appealed to the Ferozepur district administration in Punjab to halt a proposed Rath Yatra scheduled for May 23, stating that the event is being organised against established religious traditions and prescribed rituals.
In a formal communication addressed to Ferozepur Deputy Commissioner and District Magistrate Deepshikha Sharma, SJTA Chief Administrator Arabinda Kumar Padhee urged the local authorities to intervene and prevent the conduct of the procession on a non-traditional date. According to the temple administration, an advertisement had been circulated announcing a Rath Yatra at the Jagannath Temple in Ferozepur Cantonment on May 23.
Padhee clarified in his letter that this year’s official Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath will be observed on July 16 in accordance with long-standing customs, scriptures and religious practices followed at Puri’s revered Jagannath Temple.
The SJTA maintained that organising the festival before or after the designated date could hurt the religious sentiments of millions of devotees in India and abroad. Stressing the spiritual significance of the event, the administration said timely intervention by the district authorities would help preserve the sanctity and authenticity of the centuries-old tradition.
The controversy surfaced after social media posts regarding the proposed May 23 procession went viral, drawing objections from devotees and temple authorities in Odisha. They termed the move a violation of established religious conventions associated with Lord Jagannath’s annual chariot festival.
Padhee further stated that the Rath Yatra is not merely a public celebration but a sacred religious observance governed by strict rituals and a fixed ceremonial calendar. He also referred to earlier appeals made by the Puri Gajapati Maharaja, who had urged devotees across the country not to organise Rath Yatras on unauthorised dates.
Earlier this week, the SJTA had written a similar letter to the District Magistrate of Hapur in Uttar Pradesh, seeking action against another proposed early Rath Yatra and Netrotsav event planned for June 13 and 14 by a local religious committee.
Reiterating its stand, the SJTA said celebrations conducted outside the traditional calendar are strongly opposed by the temple management committee headed by the Gajapati Maharaja. The administration added that this year’s Netrotsav and Rath Yatra will officially be observed on July 14 and July 16 respectively, strictly in line with scriptural traditions and religious customs.
