Bhubaneswar, June 1:The controversy surrounding the observance of Rath Yatra outside India continues to intensify. Even as devotees in Odisha await the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath later this month, ISKCON temples abroad have already organized and celebrated the festival in several countries.

After Rath Yatra events were recently held by ISKCON temples in the United States, similar celebrations have now taken place in Canada. On May 30, ISKCON's Waterloo temple in the Greater Toronto region organized a Rath Yatra, followed by another procession in Niagara on May 31.

The celebrations were conducted despite objections raised by members of the Odia community in Canada. Odia organizations based in Toronto had reportedly written to the concerned ISKCON temples, urging them not to hold the Rath Yatra before the traditional observance in Puri. However, the events went ahead as scheduled.