Come get your chant on!
It is time to party with the Krishna’s. Once again, the colorful Festival of Chariots returns to Windward Plaza, complete with vegan food, Krishna culture, and one very long song with only a few words! 🙂
About the event:
An ancient celebration, the Festival of the Chariots is sometimes referred to as Ratha Yatra, literally meaning Chariot Festival. Ratha Yatra originated 5,000 years ago in India, on the East Coast state of Orrisa, in a city called Jagannatha Puri..
The Festival of the Chariots includes a free feast for thousands, free entertainment and exhibits and booths all bringing together the finest in Indian culture. The festival celebrates Lord Jagannatha, the Lord of the Universe, and is put on by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). The Festival of the Chariots is now performed in every country across the world and dates back thousands of years to Jagannatha Puri, India.
For the festivities; there are three chariots, one for each of the three deities; Lord Jagannatha, Lord Balarama and Lady Subhadra. The canopied chariots are decorated with flowers and balloons and are pulled with long, thick ropes by hundreds of people who ecstatically dance while chanting sacred mantras.,
About the host:
The mission of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness is to propagate the science of self-realization and love of God. This scientific practice has been handed down to us through disciplic succession and the Vedic scripture. It is the perfect, time honored practice of the great perfected sages and yogis who follow the principles of spiritual teachings as enunciated by Krishna Himself in the classic scriptures, Bhagavad-Gita As It Is and Srimad-Bhagavatam.
The celebration of the Festival of the Chariots is a sample of this ancient science in practice; chanting Hare Krishna, dancing, sharing the books of Krishna’s philosophy and feasting on pure vegetarian foodstuffs offered to Krishna.
Aug. 5th event details:
The Festival of the Chariots commences at 10:00 AM Sunday at the Santa Monica Civic Auditorium and proceeds south on Main St, with three fully decorated four-story tall chariots leading a colorful parade toward the Ocean Front Walk Plaza at Venice Beach. The festival will arrive at Venice Beach at noon..http://festivalofchariots.co
Main Stage
- 11:00 Temple Bhajan Band – Kirtan – Ecstatic chanting
- 12:30 Chariots arrives at festival site
- 12:50 Welcoming address by MC Naikatma das
- 1:00 Odissi Dancers directed by Nandita Behera
- 1:30 Bharat Natyam Dancers directed by Viji Prakash3:00 Karnamrita Dasi and Friends – Kirtan – Ecstatic Chanting
- 4:30 Prema Rasa Music – Kirtan with Magical Harp & Flute
- 5:30 Mayapuri’s – Kirtan – Ecstatic Chanting
- 6:30 Departure of the Deities from the festival
- 7:00 Festival ends
Small Stage
- 12 pm – Boston Kirtan
- 1 pm – Gandharvas
- 2 pm – Temple Bhajan Band
- 3 pm – Nirantara and TK
- 4 pm – Global people Party
- 5 pm – Mighty Govindas
View the Festival of Chariots’ experience via Venice Paparazzi’s photos below!
For more info: festivalofchariots.com
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