ISKCON Halifax is excited to announce the 2nd Annual Halifax Ratha Yatra: Festival of Chariots!

June 17th at the Garrison Grounds - Parade from 12-2pm followed by Cultural Exhibition

Due to your generous support, last year's first-ever Ratha Yatra Festival in Halifax was a grand success. We made major strides toward establishing this unique cultural event as a yearly celebration, and were happy to serve the community of HRM by offering this experience. Despite the rainy weather, we managed to serve nearly 2,000 plates of free prasadam (traditional sacred food)! Hundreds of people sang and danced through the streets of Halifax, pulling the gigantic chariot of Lord Jagannatha for the first time. And the rich, beautiful, ancient culture of India was showcased to be appreciated by the city of Halifax.

What is the Ratha Yatra Festival?

Also known as the Festival of the Chariots, the Ratha Yatra Festival originated in the ancient city of Puri, India. During the festival, three mammoth rathas (chariots), upon which the deities of Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra are seated, are pulled by rope on a jubilant procession called a yatra, attracting over a million people annually for the past few thousand years. The parade itself symbolizes the pulling of the Lord into our hearts, and it is done with great devotion to the accompaniment of chanting and dancing, called kirtan.

What can we look forward to in the 2nd Annual Halifax Ratha Yatra Festival?

The main components of the festival will consist of:

• Behold the beautiful, hand-carved and painted, 300lb and 3.5 foot tall deity of Lord Jagannatha (an ancient depiction of the Supreme Lord)
• A colorful procession with a giant chariot and the deity of Lord Jagannatha down Spring Garden Road in the heart of the city
• A festival site in the Garrison Grounds where the parade will conclude and further festivities will begin
• Entertainment, cultural performances, devotional chants and dancing, extravagant worship of the deity of Lord Jagannatha
• Boutiques, spiritual literature about yoga and meditation, henna and face-painting, activities for children
• Free and liberal distribution of sacred vegetarian food offered to the deity (prasadam)
• 45 minute complementary yoga session
• The opportunity to participate in a rich cultural tradition, and much, much more!

Who is ISKCON Halifax?

An emerging cultural community and faith-based group with roots in ancient India. We are the local HRM branch of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (popularly known as the Hare Krishna Movement). As a CRA-registered charity and non-profit organization (832429815 RR 0001), we are part of a worldwide confederation of 400+ communities belonging to the Gaudiya-Vaishnava lineage, a monotheistic tradition within Hindu culture.

We hope to see you there!

Would you like to support this event with a donation?

Visit our GoFundMe here: https://gofund.me/95d66321