Ratha Yatra today

[Jahnava Nitai Das 2]

Today is the Ratha Yatra festival in Puri. If you are in India, you can see it on television on Durdarshana-1. I'm not sure of the time of the broadcast. Usually they will broadcast live for a few hours.

[theist 1]

Someday it will be streaming across the internet worldwide.

[atma 0]

For some good pictures of Ratha Yatra in Puri go to and search for rathayatra, for Stephen Knapp. Very nice photos there.

 

www.stephen-knapp.com/rathayatra-festival-at-jagannath-puri.htm

[Yashoda_dd 0]

I tried to see the photos, but the web page I could not find...

[atma 0]

go to and in search type: rathayatra. Many links will come, click in number 12.

 

[gHari 0]

http://www.stephen-knapp.com/rathayatra_festival_at_jagannath_puri.htm

 

Pics from 2001 are in a link at the bottom

[raga 0]

The Ecstatic Dancing of Sri Caitanya at the Ratha Yatra Festival

[JRdd 0]

I remember that Stephen Knapp site as having fantastic photos in general, and a really wonderful section on Vraja.

 

gHari prabhu, I remember you had some video clips you took at Toronto Rathayatra maybe three years ago. Are those still available for our viewing? Maybe on your site? They were ecstatic. I can't go to SF Rath because of health and would love to see this. Oh, but I do have a video of last year's festival. Which come to think of it can be ordered from the artist who filmed it for I think ten bucks including postage.

 

ys, Jayaradhe

[gHari 0]

JRdd, yes, most of the videos are still on the web site. Just click on the first giant Jagannatha you see. With Krsna's mercy I will have hitched a ride into Toronto for the festival tomorrow. I am totally buzzed. Unfortunately I had to sell my digital camera, but perhaps I can post a few good words later before the auspiciousness wears off.

 

Hoping for your health,

 

gHari

 

------------------

Gary Stevason

Seeking the Kingdom of God

[JRdd 0]

Great! thanks! Also I'm glad to get the link to your site again, as my hard drive crashed and I lost all favorites/bookmarks.

 

Have a great Rathayatra--Jaya Jagannath!

 

JR

[Gauracandra 1]

Very nice videos. I checked out the first one, and will go to a friend's house to see the others (he has high speed internet connection). I hope you have a fun, spiritualy enlivening time.

[gHari 0]

Well, I must thank an acquaintance who, after offering to take me to a play or something for my helping him build his house, was convinced to take me to Toronto for Ratha Yatra instead. He had read Yogananda's Biography of a Yogi. He pulled the ropes and had Jagannatha prasadam, and was visibly benefited by bringing gHari to his Lord Jagannatha.

 

It started with a big hug from Bhaktimarga Swami, the local ISKCON guru who has shown me kindness since 1974, and of course everything else had to proceed wonderfully from that point. Indeed, just after offering my obeisances to Lord Baladeva, the opening ceremony sent three-quarters of a ceremonial coconut to my feet. I picked it up and we had a little. I carried it throughout the procession and met various new devotees as they came up and sampled a chunk during the kirtana.

 

It was greater than ever. I noticed that while chanting loudly, the words would come from deep within and launch from my mouth like flowers. I could hardly wait to hear the next "Hare Rama" and "Rama". There seemed to be a delay between the time I mouthed the words and the time when they burst into the air. Each was different, each was eternally memorable. They may have indeed been the highlight of my 2002 Ratha Yatra. I may start chanting loudly more often, if I could hear them again.

 

Leading the procession was a huge 15 foot Lord Nrsmhadeva made of cloth which was carried on someone's shoulders. This year we didn't stay under the freeway overpass very long for a wild kirtana like in previous years (as in the movies on the website).

 

Srila Jayapataka Maharaja was not there, nor the guru from Montreal, both who are usually graciously in attendance. In fact, this year I noticed that many I would normally expect were not there. The only old guard I saw was Divyananda Prabhu (looking very good with his new son). I missed the couple who dress as clowns and squirt water all over everyone, the past president Vishvakarma who became a BMW salesman, the devotee who left and became a bus driver, the devotee who left because he thought he was Krsna, and all the Montreal devotees seemed absent. I didn't see at least twenty of the people from the past who typically attend. Perhaps it is the war and the economy.

 

The young man, Keshav, who created the ISKCON Toronto website has grown into a 21 year old wonderful devotee and drummer. He recognized me and returned all the encouragement I had given him over the last few years. He's now co-author of http://iskcon.ca which will interest many here. [i just remembered how wonderful his mother was when she had Bhaktimarga Swami and a few of us lecture at the Catholic school where she teaches. I guess he was bound to turn out well.]

 

But I do miss all my friends who weren't there. I am hoping it was just finances that kept everyone away.

 

There were many new young people, both from Indian families and locally-grown Canadians. That was very heartening.

 

I didn't get to stay and go to the island for the Festival of India, since my chauffeur seemed contented with his taste of India. He couldn't stop talking about it when he returned, as many neighbours spoke positively with me about it. It seems he was amazed how reserved gHari sang so loudly and danced for three hours. He hadn't realized that we were about to become part of the Lord's pastime - not just observers.

 

It was wonderful. How can words describe without stealing the magic? I hope I never miss Lord Jagannatha's stroll down Yonge Street Toronto if I am or can be anywhere nearby.

 

gHari

[Gauracandra 1]

Beautiful recap Prabhu. As for those devotees who weren't there this year, I'll tell you, its funny, but once you are a Hare Krsna, I think it sticks with you. I've found many times devotees leave for a bit, but inevitably come back. Something draws them back. Probably the same spiritual energy that was evident from reading your posting. Thanks for that. It gave me a nice boost.

[JRdd 0]

Yes, what a wonderful and personal telling, I can feel the ecstacy of the day from this description.

 

The other day I did try the videos and unfortunately was unable to see them as clips. I don't know if I am missing something since my hard drive crashed and I got a new one installed a few weeks ago. I wonder if I am supposed to reinstall something. I noticed probelms hearing music too, on some sites, like there's something missing. I'm saying this here because gHari knows a lot about this kind of stuff. But I'll ry again this afternoon maybe.

 

Thanks for a great sharing,

ys, Jayaradhe

[Jahnava Nitai Das 2]

You can view the movies with "Windows Media Player", which is built in to Windows. But you would need to download the movie clips to your hard drive.

 

Windows Media Player is located here:

 

Start Button-->Programs-->Accessories-->Entertainment-->Windows Media

Player

 

Then just open the video file.

 

[JRdd 0]

Thanks! I guess that was on my list of things to choose from to download through but I didn't see it. I'll try that.

ys, Jayaradhe

[Tarun 6]

JRdd: do u know any British Bhaktas like ASTa-sAkhI dd?

Saturday was Birmingham Rathayatra featuring Kulashaker etc.

Birmingham's Lord JagannAth is only 17 feet high, 7 feet wide.

He only weighs 1777 lbs.

Talk about Tribhangalalitam!?

He was designed by Himself in 3 parts: top, middle, bottom

JagannAth's top had to be lifted so His bottom COULD BE...

Just like a transcendental child. Make that TRANSCENDENTAL CHILD

British Public's Macro-Vatsalya-rasa reached new heights.

SukRti-less chose to remain blind, so what's the dif?

JagannAth's downtown HarinAm-sankIrtan only sent Bobbies whirling.

With Free Internet Access at Birmingham's Central Library only 717 ft away, who could resist?

[JRdd 0]

The videos are at gHari's site, the Kingdom of God:

 

http://geocities.com/caitanyamahaprabhu/

 

Tarun, yes I know Astasakhi, a wonderful devotee. The Birmingham Rathayatra--and Deities--sounds amazing. We used to take the Manor Jagannaths there for Rathayatra.

 

ys, Jayaradhe

[raga 0]

Now, where are those videos?

[gHari 0]

At http://geocities.com/caitanyamahaprabhu/picpage5.htm you can click letters A, B, C, etc. Most of them are still there, but there was not room for all.

[Tarun 6]

Other Rathayatras will be held w/i next 25 days in Berlin/ZBv NArAyaN Mhrj followers, (Sardinia/ZBv Puri Mhrj followers

[Tarun 6]

ZrIla Bhaktivaibhava Puri Gosai's group is staging another Rathayatra after Sardinia in either Firenze (Florence) or elsewhere.

ISKCON's holding Rathayatra at Dam Square, alongside Amsterdam's 50ft high Siva-linga 17Aug.