Tampa Ratha-yātrā - The Festival of Chariots - 2021
Meaning and Significance
Lord Kṛṣṇa and Lord Balarāma ruled peacefully in the opulent city of Dvārakā (present day in Gujarat, India) for several years after leaving the charming land of Vraja, where They spent Their childhood. Once, there was a rare occasion of full solar eclipse. By astronomical calculation, people were informed about this great eclipse prior to it taking place, and therefore everyone, both men and women, decided to assemble at the holy place in Kurukṣetra. There the Lordships and the other family members called Yadus met with the residents of Vraja after a long span of time. The intimate devotees of the Lord, after seeing Him in the royal attire, desired to take Him back to Vraja, longing to see Him in His simple cowherd form adorned with forest flowers. This very desire to invite the Lord back to Vraja is the mood of this festival.
“Śrīla Prabhupāda very simply explained the meaning of Ratha-yātrā. He said that Ratha-yātrā is the meditation on bringing Kṛṣṇa back into our hearts. Kṛṣṇa resides within the heart of all living beings, but we have forgotten Him. The real purpose of spiritual life is to make our heart a suitable home for God to reveal Himself to us. If we are inviting God to reveal himself in our hearts it must be clean (free of lust, envy, arrogance, greed, anger and illusion). The purpose of every great spiritual path in this world is to help one another to honestly and sincerely clean our hearts, to cultivate the character of humility, charity, love for God and compassion to all beings.”
Ratha means chariot, and yātrā means journey or procession. Generally, people are expected to go to the temple to see the Lord. But on the day of Ratha-yātrā, the Lord is so merciful that He comes out of the temple to see the people and give out His mercy. So, He is in an especially benevolent mood in Ratha-yātrā. In Ratha-yātrā, we are given the most extraordinary opportunity to render personal service to the Lord by pulling the ropes of His chariot, taking Him on a procession, and singing and dancing for His pleasure. We are offering personal service to Him. It is said that if one just participates in the Ratha-yātrā festival, if one just dances and claps his hands in ecstasy in front of the Deity of Kṛṣṇa he will be purified of all sinful reactions. He will be liberated and go back home, back to Godhead.
Festival of Chariots in Tampa
So, this year by the desire of all the devotees and especially by the desire of the personal servants of Lord Jagannātha (Lord of the Universe), Śriman Bankim Prabhu and Śrimati Śarmilā Matāji, ISKCON Tampa organized their first ever Ratha-yātrā Festival on July 4, 2021. It was a wonderful festival where the devotees came together for one goal which was- to please the Lord. This festival came alive in the spirits and in the grandeur because of the combined efforts of the entire community. Moreover, it brought the members of the congregation further closer as they served in union.
On the day of the festival, the Lord’s chariot was arranged and decorated with festoons and flowers. The Lordships, Śrī Śrī Jagannātha, Baladeva and Subhadrā along with Sudarśana as well as our founder ācārya Śrīla Prabhupāda were brought out onto the cart for the procession. The devotees welcomed the Lordships by loudly reciting the prayers from the scriptures expressing their deepest gratitude, love and devotion to the Supreme Lord and His associates. After appropriately honoring the Lordships by offering the foodstuffs and worship, the procession started with devotees pulling on the ropes of the chariot accompanied with chanting of the holy names of the Lord. There was constant singing and dancing by the devotees as the chariot was pulled along the streets.
The beauty of the Lordships and the whole festivities attracted many passers-by to cheer on and click pictures. The devotees were eager to distribute the mercy of the Lord to the onlookers and so the prasādam (remnants of the foodstuffs offered to the lord) and transcendental books were distributed. These were gratefully accepted by the fortunate recipients. The Lord of the Universe extended His mercy to whoever was privileged to be present during the festival.
The whole event was a great success and the source of great spiritual pleasure for one and all. After the return of the chariot, sumptuous feast was distributed. This festival left a great impression on the minds and the hearts of the participants and will be cherished for a long time to come. ISKCON Tampa wants to express heartfelt gratitude to each and everyone and especially to Bankim Prabhu and Śarmilā Matāji for without them the festival wouldn’t have been possible. We thank them for hosting the event, cooking the feast and arranging everything necessary for the smooth execution of the festival. We hope to have many more festivals like these in the coming years. Jaya Jagannātha! ISKCON Tampa congregation ki jaya!
-Manjulāli Priya Devi Dāsi