Few Words About Festival of India

Festival of India is a unique annual event presented by the ISKCON of Baltimore – Hare Krishna Temple in Catonsville, MD. It has now become one of the largest event of its kind with a gathering of over 5,000 of local and international attendees. At it’s core, Festival of India is a festival of arts, dance, music & fun in which many participants from an early age of four (4) years to senior citizens come to participate.

The chariot parade (Ratha Yatra) literally means 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 celebrates Lord Krishna’s return to Vrindaban and is held annually in India in the months of June-July to honor Lord Jagannatha. Millions of people from around the world descend upon of Jagannath Puri (India) to celebrate this unbelievable festival.

The Festival of Chariots was first performed outside of India on July 9, 1967 in San Francisco , under the supervision of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Srila Prabhupada, as he is more affectionately known, is the Founder-Acarya of the ISKCON (International Society of Krishna Consciousness). Srila Prabhupada first got the idea for performing the festival in San Francisco , while looking out the window of his room above Frederick Street. Today, the Festival of the Chariots is performed around the world, including down 5th Avenue in Manhattan, along Pacific Coast Highway in Laguna Beach and through Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Baltimore held its first Festival of Chariots in 2002 and since has become one of the largest celebrations outside of India.