Puri: The Shree Jagannatha Temple Administration (SJTA) has urged the Jaipur district authorities to withdraw permission for the proposed Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Jaipur, Rajasthan, scheduled for August 16, 2026, stating that holding the festival on the date would be inconsistent with the established traditions of the Shree Jagannatha Temple in Puri.

In a letter to Jaipur District Collector and Magistrate Sandesh Nayak, SJTA Chief Administrator Arabinda Kumar Padhee requested the authorities to take necessary steps to stop or withdraw permission for the proposed Rath Yatra. He also urged the administration to direct the organisers not to conduct the festival on August 16.

The Rath Yatra in Jaipur is being organised by Jaipur Govinda, Shri Radha Madanmohan Mandir and Sevakunj Foundation.

The letter stated the festivals and rituals associated with Lord Jagannath are governed by established scriptural prescriptions and an unbroken religious tradition centred on the Shree Jagannatha Temple in Puri, regarded as the Moola Peetha, or original shrine, of Lord Jagannath.

According to the SJTA, the chariot festival of Lord Jagannath is traditionally observed on Ashadha Shukla Dwitiya as part of the Navadinatmaka Yatra. Accordingly, the Rath Yatra at the Moola Peetha in Puri commenced on July 16 this year, in accordance with the prescribed Tithi and established religious traditions, followed by the return journey and other associated rituals.

Padhee stated organising a Rath Yatra on a date unrelated to the prescribed Tithi would constitute a departure from the established traditions of Lord Jagannath worship.

The proposed celebration on August 16 could also hurt the religious sentiments of millions of devotees of Lord Jagannath, the letter said.

The SJTA Chief Administrator said the communication was aimed at preserving the sanctity and continuity of the established traditions of Shree Jagannatha as followed at the Moola Peetha in Puri.