Philadelphia Ratha Yatra & Festival of India

For more information on how you can attend or get involved, visit www.paradeofchariots.com.

he Philadelphia Ratha-Yatra Festival strives to bring all residents of the Philadelphia area together to remember, serve, and love the Supreme Personality of Godhead. To achieve this, the ancient festival consists of a parade of large colorful chariots carrying deities, pulled by participants, and accompanied by chanting of the Holy Names of God and ecstatic dancing. The parade will be followed by a cultural presentation with transcendental music, discussion, drama, and a vegan and vegetarian feast.

This year the Parade of Chariots will begin at 12 noon on September 27th near Love Park in Center City Philadelphia at 16th Street and Ben Franklin Parkway. It will proceed from there down the Ben Franklin Parkway to Eakin's Oval in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, where the Festival of India will be held. Included in the parade will be a large Garbha dance ensemble, lila characters in costume, kirtan chanters and dancers, and loving devotees pulling the huge chariots of Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva, Lady Subhadra and Srila Prabhupada

The Festival of India will begin at 2 PM at Eakin's Oval in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art. It will include a free vegan and vegetarian feast, devotional and contemporary musical performances, classical Indian dance performances, drama, booths recounting the philosophy of reincarnation, Bhagavad-Gita, Yoga, and the Hare Krishna Movement, Indian clothing, sumptuous vegan and vegetarian cuisine, cultural gifts, children's activities, and plenty of family fun. It will last until 7 pm.

Please join us for this event and become part of the huge procession accompanying the chariots with inspiring music, enchanting drumming, ecstatic dancing and other transcendental activities.