ISKCON plans world’s first virtual Rath Yatra across 6 continents amid Covid-19 pandemic

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), with its headquarters in West Bengal, would be organizing the world’s first digital Rath Yatra that would cover six continents during the Covd-19 pandemic on June 23.

This comes at a time when the iconic Rath Yatra at Puri in Odisha has been halted by the Supreme Court because of the coronavirus pandemic. The Puri Rath Yatra was last held up nearly three centuries ago when Mohammed Taqi Khan, deputy governor of Odisha, attacked the Jagannath temple, forcing the shifting of the idols to Ganjam district.

“This would be the world’s first digital Rath Yatra which would cover six continents in 24 hours on June 23 and June 24. It would be named ‘Mercy in Wheels’. There would be 108 rathas,” said Subrata Das, communication officer of ISKCON’s headquarters at Mayapur in south Bengal.