BY A STAFF REPORTER
SANTA MONICA, CA - The 42nd Annual Festival of the Chariots or Ratha Yatra was celebrated on August 5, with the full splendor of three majestic 40-foot chariots traveling caravan style from the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium down Main Street to Oceanfront Park in Venice. Hundreds of devotees joyfully pulled each of the carts with...
SANTA MONICA, CA - The 42nd Annual Festival of the Chariots or Ratha Yatra was celebrated on August 5, with the full splendor of three majestic 40-foot chariots traveling caravan style from the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium down Main Street to Oceanfront Park in Venice. Hundreds of devotees joyfully pulled each of the carts with...
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Deities of Lord Jagganath, Baladev, and Subhadra while simultaneously chanting, dancing and blissfully rejoicing in the name of their Lord. In the park around 50,000 guests found a beautiful festival site with dozens of booths with exhibits, food, and activities for children as well as two stages with live entertainment consisting of enthusiastic singing and classical dancing. In addition, the festival hosted by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness also presented its guests with a variety of philosophical exhibits, such as teachings of the Bhagavad-Gita, importance of vegetarianism, and the process of reincarnation.Around 8000 guests received a free vegetarian meal of Krishna prasada, sanctified spiritual food. Nirantara Dasa, who has been a member of ISKCON since 1973, commented “ISKCON held its first Ratha-Yatra in 1967 in San Francisco, and now it is performed world-wide.’’ The event is supported with time and labor by a large community of devotees.
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