Hare Krishna chariot festival held in St. John's for the first time

Members of the St. John's Hindu community gathered for a sacred parade and festival held in the city for the first time over the weekend.

The chariot festival, or Ratha Yatra, is an ancient celebration of the journey of Lord Jagannath, in the Hare Krishna tradition.

It began Saturday morning with a worship ritual on Freshwater Road. The group then walked in an 8.5-kilometre parade to Bowring Park, where devotees carried a decorated chariot that honours Lord Jagannath.

In the afternoon, they held a celebration in the park with music, chanting and food. 

"St. John's never had a … festival of chariots before. So, we decided we wanted to bring it," Dhashwaree Poorun, a member of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, told CBC News.

She said the celebration is an over 2,000-year-old tradition in India. 

WATCH | This parade brought a Hindu tradition to the streets of St. John's: 

First Chariot Festival in St. John’s brings crowds to Bowring Park for prayers, chants

7 days ago

Duration 1:51

The Hare Krishna community in St. John’s came together for the city’s inaugural Ratha Yatra — or Chariot Festival — Saturday, including a parade across town and festivities in Bowring Park.

"It was a parade with Lord Jagannath," said Poorun, explaining the parade allows the Lord to be seen by everyone in the street. 

The chariot took over a month to prepare, said Poorun, which included a lot of planning and volunteers. 

She said similar — but much larger — festivals take place in other cities and India. 

"What happens in India has nothing compared to what we are having here. This is a really small scale," she said.

Poorun said chanting, music and dancing is an important part of the festival that everyone can take part in. 

"The sound vibration … will bring good vibes to St. John's," she said. "So, if you hear it, please listen to it."

The Hare Krishna community has been in St. John's for over 10 years, said Poorun. The festival had been in the works for some time.

As for the future of the Hare Krishna in St. John's, Poorun said the group is currently part of the Hindu temple, but are trying to create a separate entity for members of Hare Krishna.

And she is hoping they'll be able to host the festival again next year.

"It depends on the support that we get from the community, from the city, from the province," she said. "And the desire of the Lord."

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