The Jagannath Temple in Puri holds its Rath Yatra every year on a date prescribed by its centuries-old ritual calendar. A branch of ISKCON, however, stages international events of the procession on dates that differ from the original, citing practical reasons. The divergence has sparked a controversy, with many in Puri viewing it as a challenge to the temple’s authority and its religious identity, finds Satyasundar Barik
The first public darshan of Lord Jagannath, Lord Balabhadra and Goddess Subhadra after the 15-day Anavasara period drew devotees to the Krishnalanka temple; the chariot procession sets off from Sitara Grounds at 2 p.m. on July 16
The main chariot festival will be flagged off at 2 p.m., travelling along Annamayya Road up to MR Palli Circle before returning to the originating point