KEEPING A DATE WITH THE LORD

The Puri administration upbraids ISKCON for its "flexible" global rath yatra itinerary

- Arkamoy Datta Majumdar

F OR A DEITY KNOWN AS THE LORD OF THE UNIVERSE, his legions of devotees seem to be struggling with a very earthly problem: scheduling. To be more accurate, narrow that down to the priestly class in charge of his day care and boarding. When exactly should the mighty Jagannath be bathed, wheeled out of his sanctum for his rath yatra, and be brought back home? These seemingly mundane questions have two sets of ecclesiastes trading unholy blows.

On one side stand the traditional custodians ensconced in the Shree Jagannatha Temple Administration (SJTA) of Puri, armed with scriptures, hallowed tithi calendars, and the weight of centuries-old ritual authority. On September 6, a press release from them addressed the other side-the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON)-with all the holy rage of a pontiff taking on a newfangled, wayward pretender. It accused the global spiritual organisation of "violating sacred scriptures and tradition" by merrily carting the Lord around on dates of their own convenience.

JUGGERNAUT OF QUERIES