Puri/Bhubaneswar, July 12: Massive protests erupted in Puri on Sunday as residents, lawyers, and devotees of Lord Jagannath demonstrated against ISKCON over its observance of Rath Yatra at different times of the year in various parts of the world.

The agitation intensified after ISKCON conducted Rath Yatra celebrations on dates that differed from the traditional schedule observed in Puri, where the annual chariot festival is held according to long-established religious customs and rituals.

Protesters assembled near the Shree Jagannath Temple and the Royal Palace, alleging that the organization had deviated from established traditions and shown disregard for the authority of the Gajapati Maharaja of Puri, who is revered as the first servitor (Adya Sevak) of Lord Jagannath. Demonstrators claimed that the Maharaja had previously appealed to ISKCON not to organize Rath Yatras outside the traditional calendar.

Members of organizations, including the Kalinga Sena, staged demonstrations and demanded that ISKCON discontinue what they described as "untimely" Rath Yatras. Kalinga Sena activists warned that they would intensify their protest, including calls to lock ISKCON centres across Odisha, unless the organization issued a public apology and reconsidered its global scheduling of Rath Yatra celebrations.

A similar protest was also witnessed in Bhubaneswar on Sunday. Various organisation members staged a demonstration in front of the ISKCON temple in Bhubaneswar, condemning the off-season and untimely Rath yatra organised by ISKCON globally.

Amid the growing controversy, the Bhubaneswar unit of ISKCON reportedly expressed concern over the issue and urged the organization's Governing Body Commission (GBC) to review its policy regarding the scheduling of Rath Yatra festivals.

The dispute has reignited debate over the observance of Jagannath traditions and the balance between preserving centuries-old customs in Puri and the global celebration of the Rath Yatra festival.