A proposed Rath Yatra scheduled to be held on June 14 in Hapur district of Uttar Pradesh was postponed on Sunday following objections raised by the Shree Jagannath Temple Administration (SJTA) in Puri over the observance of the festival on a date not aligned with traditional rituals and prescribed religious timelines.

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According to sources, an organisation in Hapur had planned to organise the Rath Yatra on June 14 this year. However, the sacred festival is officially scheduled to be observed on July 16 as per the traditional calendar and rituals associated with the main temple of Lord Jagannath and His siblings at Puri.

Concerned over the deviation from the prescribed date, SJTA Chief Administrator Arabinda Padhee had earlier written a letter to the Hapur District Magistrate, requesting intervention to ensure that the festival is celebrated according to scriptural traditions and established customs.

Following the communication, Hapur District Magistrate Kavita Meena informed the temple administration in writing that the proposed Rath Yatra would not be held in June. The district administration also advised the organisers to conduct the festival in July as per the actual religious date followed at Puri.

The development has been welcomed by the SJTA, which expressed gratitude to the Hapur district administration for taking timely steps to preserve the sanctity and traditional dignity of the Rath Yatra festival.

In a statement, the Puri temple authorities thanked District Magistrate Kavita Meena and the entire Hapur administration for respecting the spiritual significance of the festival and ensuring adherence to age-old Jagannath traditions.

The issue comes amid growing debates in recent weeks over the celebration of Jagannath festivals on dates different from those prescribed by scriptures and the Puri temple tradition. The devotees, intelligentsia and religious scholars have repeatedly stressed the importance of maintaining uniformity and sanctity in the observance of sacred rituals associated with Lord Jagannath.

Rath Yatra, one of the most revered festivals in Hindu tradition, attracts millions of devotees worldwide and holds immense spiritual and cultural significance for followers of Lord Jagannath.

“The proposed schedule is not in consonance with the prescribed religious calendar and the established scriptural traditions governing these sacred observances. As per the traditional Tithi and established rituals associated with Lord Shree Jagannatha, Netrotsava is to be observed on 14 July 2026, while Ratha Yatra is to be celebrated on 16 July 2026 this year,” Arabinda Padhee had previously written in his letter.

“Any observance of these sacred festivals on dates other than those prescribed by tradition and scripture is likely to hurt the religious sentiments of millions of devotees of the Lord across India and abroad,” the official communiqué had mentioned.