Ratha yatra is a celebration of
the occasion when Sri Krsna attended a religious function in Kuruksetra
some 5,000 years ago, traveling from Dwarka along with Subhadra and
Balarama; and the residents of Vrindavana, due to intense separation
from Krishna and Balarama tried to take Them from Kurukshetra to
Vrindavana.
Puri in Orissa is world-famous for the
annual Ratha Yatra festival. Srila Prabhupada, the Founder – Acharya of
ISKCON introduced this Ratha Yatra festival or the festival of chariots
in all of his centers around the world. He said, "If you participate in
these chariot festivals and see the deities riding on these chariots,
you will go, back to home, back to Godhead at the end of this life - rathe ca vamanam drstva punar janma na vidyate "
We at ISKCON Bangalore celebrate this
festival every year in the vicinity of our temple in a grand manner. The
utsava deities of Sri Krishna Balarama come out in the evening and ride
on Their chariots to bless the citizens. Thousands of devotees pull the
chariot, offer their prayers, join in the kirtana and partake of the
prasadam, all along the route of the Ratha Yatra. You are also invited
to receive Their Lordships’ mercy and come pull the chariot!
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