Untimely Rath Yatra and Snana Yatra are unacceptable: Shree Jagannath Sanskruti Prachar Sansthan
Bhubaneswar( By Abhishek Mohanty):
Mahaprabhu Shree Jagannath is not merely an idol; He is a living Lord. Likewise, the “seva-niti” (ritual order) of the Srimandir is not an administrative schedule; rather, it is the spiritual grammar of the Odia people. Everyone must understand that divine rituals are not optional arrangements. They are a sacred discipline that preserves the dignity of the Lord and the spiritual atmosphere of the temple.
Today, when voices are rising across Odisha regarding an “untimely Rath Yatra,” and when Jagannath devotees—even the Gajapati Maharaja himself- are saying that conducting the Rath Yatra on an unscriptural date is not appropriate, then how can the daily rituals be altered in any manner?
Ritual order is not a government instrument.
The members of Shree Jagannath Sanskruti Prachar Sansthan said that the administration should prepare a clear set of rules in which no compromise with the “daily rituals” is permitted.
Odias regard "Kalia Thakura" as a living deity and as a God who enacts human-like divine pastimes. Just like a human being’s daily routine, Mahaprabhu too has His daily routine. Therefore, the rituals of the Srimandir are an indispensable necessity of the living Lord’s daily life, and Mahaprabhu’s rituals are immutable.
A devotee’s convenience can wait; but allowing any harm to the dignity of Lord Jagannath is inappropriate. Everyone should have the wisdom to see Mahaprabhu not as a “tourist attraction,” but as a “living deity.”
Human-made wishes should not be given importance in matters of ritual order. The government and the temple administration must take firm steps on this issue. We humans, who are creations of the Creator, changing His rites and rituals is a grave deviation. If anyone thinks that such changes can bring improvement, that is impossible. Rather, by doing so, the world is being pulled into a great crisis. To resist this, let us all unite and raise one voice- “Shree Jagannath Raksha.” Let everyone raise their voice. Only He can protect us from this great crisis. By the grace of Mahaprabhu, may there be welfare of the world.
