Rath Yatra Celebration in United Kingdom (यूनाइटेड किंगडम में रथ यात्रा समारोह)

Rath-yatra festivals are organized at many different places in the country and abroad, which is the biggest famous Sanatan festival of London. Rath Yatra is the biggest street festival sponsored by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). It is celebrated by the devotees of Bhagwan Krishna all over the world and was celebrated in San Francisco in 1967 by his divine grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta was introduced to the West by Swami Prabhupada.The London procession begins at Hyde Park Corner, passes through Park Lane, Piccadilly and Haymarket and finally reaches Trafalgar Square, where the festivities continue through the night. Drama, dance, darshan and a banquet are the main attractions.

The festival has been held every year for hundreds of years at Jagannath Puri, Odisha, on the east coast of India. There, three huge chariots, carrying the deity forms of Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra, are pulled by hand through the streets of the city amid loud demonstrations. Lakhs of pilgrims come to Odisha for the festival. Bhagwan Jagannath is a special form of Bhagwan Krishna.

This festival of chariots, Rath-Yatra, is more than 5000 years old. Devotees believe that if they get a chance to pull the ropes of the huge chariot carrying Bhagwan Jagannath of the universe, then the sin of Kotijanma is destroyed and salvation is attained.

This year's Rath Yatra is scheduled on July 1, 2022.

Jagannath Temples in UK:
https://iskcon.london/
https://www.iskconsouthlondon.co.uk/
https://www.shreejagannatha.uk/
https://www.jagannathtemple.org.uk/