Hare Krishna Devotees Celebrate Festival of Chariots in Leicester

Pradyumna Das, President of ISKCON Leicester said, "Hare Krishna festival is about love, its about understanding our love that we have for god, and its about reviving, awakening that love for god and by calling out gods name we chant Hare Krishna"

"this festival adds to the many festivals that already happen in Leicester and what the Ratha Yatra festival adds is the colour with the big chariot and the procession, the singing, the music, the joy and the happiness of all the pilgrims and devotees and members of the community that gather to observe and to participate in the festival, so I think its a very important part of Leicester's festival season now"

The traditional Jagannatha Ratha Yatra is a celebration over 5000 years-old, observed in the ancient holy city of Jagannatha Puri in Orissa, India, making it the oldest street festival in the world. Devotees believe that if they get the honour of pulling the ropes of the giant chariot, carrying Lord Krishna, known as Jagannatha – Lord of the Universe, then at the end of this life, they will be granted a place in the spiritual world.

One lady in the procession commented, "its full of joy, we're celebrating, we're happy, its welcome for everybody, you don't have to be a particular faith, all you have to do is come, participate dance, sing, have prasadam and be a part of this"

A gentleman attending with his family said, "I think its wonderful, I think its wonderful to get everyone together, especially when its a nice day, to get everybody out chanting, dancing"

"its really exciting, its the first time we've ever left the temple and come out for this sort of ceremony, so it feels really like we're in a spiritual world" said a lady who was at the front of the procession.