The Summer of the Chariots

This summer, for the eleventh-straight year, the chariots of Lord Jagannatha (the Lord of the Universe) rolled down the avenues of American and Canadian cities. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness was restaging a festival held since time immemorial in the city of Puri, India. Hundreds of thousands of amazed and delighted people witnessed Ratha-yatra-the Festival of the Chariots.

This year's festival in New York City was as memorable as ever. Three huge, bright-canopied, hand-drawn wooden chariots left Central Park and journeyed down Fifth Avenue to Washington Square Park. Harvard University religion professor Harvey Cox rode on one of the carts and later spoke to the crowd on the importance of the Hare Krsna movement. "I'm here to pay tribute to a movement which has meant a lot to me, spiritually and intellectually," said Dr. Cox. He went on to condemn the attacks of "deprogrammers": "They are trying to deprive the devotees of the most valuable possession in life-faith in the Supreme Lord."

For a full week the chariots stayed in Washington Square Park, until at last devotees and well-wishers drew them back along Sixth Avenue to the temple. The week of festivities peaked at the day's free feast and festival in Central Park. Musician-composer Alice Coltrane delighted the crowd with her Gospel-flavored renderings of traditional Krsna chants. And VEDA (ISKCON's new Vedic Ensemble of the Dramatic Arts) presented an enchanting original dance performance based on the ancient Indian epic Ramayana.

Similar festivals took place in Honolulu, Toronto, and Atlanta; at Philadelphia's historic Independence Mall; in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, where Ratha-yatra in the West began; and along Venice Beach in Los Angeles, where police estimated the crowd at 200,000.

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