New York City Festival Diary — Notes from the Editor
At Fifty-ninth Street and Fifth Avenue the chariots are waiting. Forty feet high with spires atop. I bow to the statue of Srila Prabhupada which sits on an elegant throne in the second chariot.
The Chariots Roll Again
We grabbed the chariot ropes and pulled Krsna, and He pulled us along with Him. Krsna’s chariot rolled on and on, and the waves of chanting and feeling rolled in and in, deeper and deeper. Hare Krsna,
Why Krsna Comes To This World
August 1973 at the Bhaktivedanta Manor, in the countryside near London. Several thousand guests (including the Indian High Commissioner) listen to His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada speak about the day Lord Krsna made His appearance on earth.
The Rathayatra Festival’s Inspiration
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada brought the ancient Indian Ratha-yatra, the Festival of the Chariots, to the West in 1967. That year Srila Prabhupada held the festival in San Francisco’s Golden Gate Park, and it quickly caught on all over the world. In 1969, at the third San Francisco festival, Srila Prabhupada spoke […]
“Krishna Temple Is Labor of Love”
Something of a minor marvel is taking shape in the hills of Marshall County, where members of the Hare Krishna religious community have sacrificed over the past four years to complete a “labor of love”—a temple in honor of their spiritual master.
Puri — City of Jagannatha
The sacred city of Puri is one of India’s most popular attractions for pilgrims and tourists. Situated on the shore of the Bay of Bengal, this city of 80,000 is most famous for its colossal temple of Jagannatha, the Lord of the universe.
The Sovereign Who Served the Lord
About five hundred years ago, Orissa was ruled by King Prataparudra. He was a sincere devotee of Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, and he worshiped Him in the form of the Jagannatha Deity, at the great Jagannatha temple in Puri.
The Appearance of Lord Jagannatha
The King began to hear about an incarnation of Lord Visnu named Nila-madhava. He then became very inspired and sent different brahmanas to search for and inquire about Lord Nila-madhava.
Ratha-yatra – An Ancient Festival Comes to the West
At the same time that Lord Jagannatha was being pulled through Jagannatha Puri in three giant carts with millions of pilgrims in attendance, Srila Prabhupada and his young friends would pull their small cart through the streets near their home in Calcutta.
Elevation to Ecstasy
This Ratha Yatra festival has been going on for more than 2,000 years in the city of Jagannatha Puri. Jagannatha means “the universe,” and natha means “the Lord.”
The Ratha-yatra festival in Downtown Chicago
Ratha-yatra is an ancient festival glorifying Lord Jagannatha, the Supreme Lord of the universe. it is not an Indian or Hindu festival. It could just as easily be London’s Trafalgar Square as Puri, India.
Celebrating the Birth of Lord Krishna
5000 years ago, Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appeared in Vrindavan, India. An occasion of great joy for His devotees, His birthday, Janmastami, was celebrated with opulence and gaiety.
Traveling and Preaching with Radha Damodara
Everywhere we hold Krishna conscious festivals. People become inspired to join us. Soon we hope to see hundreds of buses bringing these blissful festivals to every town and village.
Three Occasions for Transcendental Festivals
Three festival days of special celebration for all devotees occur during August and September. Janmastami, Vyasa-puja of Srila Prabhupada and Radhastami.
Hare Krishna Festival, Heidelberg, Germany
What is a Hare Krishna festival? It is a transcendental event organized for the pleasure of the Supreme Lord, Krishna. Just as in the material world a meeting or event is conducted especially to show respect and honor to a great man, so a Hare Krishna festival is especially organized to please the Supreme Person.
The Festival of the Chariots
Every summer in dozens of cities across the earth, Ratha-yatra—the Festival of the Chariots—blossoms like a multicolored lotus flower. Red, yellow, and green silk canopies tower above the chariots and sway serenely.
Festivals of India Come West
The festival shows how Vedic concepts and the Vedic lifestyle are, ever relevant in guiding human society and in fulfilling man’s quest for timeless knowledge. The festival is always “a surprise,” both visually and culturally.
Holy Rathayatra Festival in London
The mammoth chariot lumbered down through the heart of London, while on all sides thousands chanted and danced in ecstasy. Piccadilly Circus overflowed with the masses who lined the streets and sidewalks. The giant tower, over 50 feet high, swayed precariously as Lord Jagannatha’s Rathayatra car moved slowly towards Trafalgar Square. From between the buildings […]
Holy Rathayatra Festival in Tokyo
In the tradition of Lord Caitanya, the Rathayatra Festival was celebrated by ISKCON devotees in Tokyo. The Supreme Lord Sri Krsna’s realm is everywhere, and the chanting of the holy name Hare Krsna is universal because it is transcendental to all material designations.
ISKCON’S Holy Rathayatra Festival
The potency of the yearly Rathayatra Festival is inconceivably great. As pictured here, thousands and thousands of people participated in the 1970 Rathayatra Festival, which was celebrated simultaneously in San Francisco and London by ISKCON.