Puri, May 19: The Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) on Monday raised objections to plans by an organisation in Hapur, Uttar Pradesh, to hold the ‘Netrostav’ ritual and the annual Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath ahead of the dates prescribed in scriptures.

SJTA Chief Administrator Dr. Arabinda Padhee, in a letter to the Hapur district magistrate, said the Bhagwan Sri Jagannath Rath Yatra Seva Samiti was preparing to organise the ‘Netrostav’ on June 13 and the Rath Yatra on June 14. The temple administration emphasised that conducting the rituals before the prescribed dates would hurt the sentiments of millions of Jagannath devotees worldwide.

Padhee clarified that this year, the rituals at the Jagannath Temple in Puri are scheduled for July 14 (‘Netrostav’) and July 16 (Rath Yatra) according to scriptural prescriptions. He urged the Hapur authorities to prevent the untimely observance, noting that such practices violate long-standing traditions and religious norms.

The SJTA stated that festivals may be celebrated if organised according to the “tithi” in the Hindu almanac. Padhee also highlighted that the temple managing committee, led by Dibyasingha Deb, the titular king of Puri, has consistently opposed celebrating Rath Yatra on unsanctioned dates, as it could deeply hurt devotees’ religious sentiments.