More than 500 people came to the Radha Krishna Temple and Cultural Center of Plainfield, New Jersey, to celebrate ISKCON’s Jagannath Rath Yatra July 6, the actual date for this year’s annual festival.
The devotees brought bhoga, or offerings for the supreme siblings – Lord Jagannath (Sri-Krishna), his elder brother Lord Balabhadra and younger sister Subhadra.
The rituals started in the evening with puja, followed by inauguration of the ceremonial procession with coconut-breaking and cleansing the chariot’s path. The devotees offered bhoga to the deities on the chariot during the procession which took place on the temple premises.
The congregational chanting and dancing with the play of musical instruments, glorifying the gods brought many new devotees to the procession. The devotees participated in Kirtan singing.
The festival is a key component of Krishna Conscious movement started in the U.S. by ISKCON founder A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami in San Francisco July 9, 1967.
Temple president Madhupati Dasa welcomed the devotees and announced the upcoming July 29-31 grand deity installation event of Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra, and Gaura Nitai.
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