St Augustine Ratha Yatra
by Nartaka Gopala dasi
Posted April 27, 2012
The St. Augustine Ratha Yatra which was held on Saturday, March 24th. The St. Augustine Mayor Mr. Joe Boles, (with a blue shirt and white beard) is shown breaking a coconut and sweeping the road before the chariot procession starts. He is following the ancient tradition of Jagannatha Puri where the King of Orissa cleans the road to welcome Lord Jagannath.
Also kindly see our website festivalofchariots.org for a list of all Ratha Yatra festivals we hold in the state of Florida.
There is a nice newspaper article & photo also which appeared in the St. Augustine newspaper, Sunday first page. Here is that link:
Click Here
2012 Festival of India and Ratha Yatra
by ISKCON Miami, FL
Posted March 17, 2012
4th Annual Festival of the Chariots, Coconut Grove 2012
Sri Rathayatra Festival
Saturday March 17th, Peacock Park
Live music, dance, free vegetarian feast
Fun for the whole family
Parade begins at Noon
corner of Virginia Street & Day Ave.
Mark Your Calendar - Florida Ratha Yatras
by Nandini Kishori dd
Posted March 10, 2012
Florida state celebrates the maximum number of Ratha yatras amongst the 50 United states.
Please Note our 2012 Ratha Yatras schedule and join us.
Miami - Saturday, 17th March
St Augustine - Saturday, 24th March
Tallahassee - Saturday, 31st March
Clearwater Beach - Saturday, 28th April
Jacksonville - Saturday, 19th May
Daytona Beach - Saturday, 26th May (tentative)
Gainesville - Homecoming Parade day in October (TBD)
Donate by paypal - donate@festivalofchariots.org
For more information contact - Nandini Kishori dd at nandinikishori@gmail.com
|
2nd Annual Festival of the Chariots and Ratha Yatra Parade Clearwater Beach, FL Saturday, April 28, 2012
by ISCKON FL
Posted April 20, 2012
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: April, 2012
Contacts:
Bhadra das at 352 316-4560 or Bhadradas@gmail.com,
Dharmaraja das at 352 538-0292
Govinda das 352 214-3142
Steve Zucker 352 214-3142
WHAT: An Indian multi-cultural parade and festival will be celebrated with entertainment for the whole family. There will be live music, singing, classical dance, books, bazaar, and lots of free delicious vegetarian food. The Ratha Yatra Parade is the oldest known parade in the world.
WHEN: Saturday, April 28, 2012. There is a cultural program at the Pier 60 Pavilion from 1 PM to 5 PM. The Parade begins at 1 PM.at the Pier 60 Pavilion, and returns there at which time the free feast begins. The festival continues till 4 PM
WHERE: The Pier 60 Pavilion at 1 Causeway Blvd..on the beach, Clearwater Beach.
WHO: All are welcome. Free admission. Wholesome fun for the entire family.
SPECIAL: VERY VISUAL event with colorful traditional costumes and flower decorations. Photography is permitted.
If you’ve ever dreamt of visiting colorful, exotic India, we have a treat for you. Get a taste of India without leaving Florida on Saturday, April 28, 2012. The 2nd Annual Festival of the Chariots & Ratha Yatra Parade, an Indian multi-cultural extravaganza, will take place on the beach at the Pier 60 Pavilion on Clearwater Beach from 1 PM to 4 PM.
There will be lots of family-friendly activities and entertainment: live music and dance acts and classical Indian dance. But the big draw is the delicious vegetarian food. There will be a sumptuous feast served free of charge to all.
The procession route is about a mile long and can be easily walked by all age groups. It begins at 1 PM at the Pier 60 Pavilion and returns to the same location.. The parade will move in a leisurely fashion, stopping here and there along the route, giving way to song and dance. The procession’s unique feature is a huge chariot with a blue, red and yellow canopy decorated with swans, lotus flowers, flags, Hanuman and a brass chakra on top. This chariot has two very thick ropes attached to it that are over one hundred feet long. These ropes are pulled by the parade-goers, propelling the chariot along the parade route. Riding on the Chariot are the beautiful Deities of Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra, decorated with stunning silk outfits & real flowers. It’s a vision from another world. Accompanying the procession is lively Indian music and dancing, backed by double-headed mrdanga drums & karatala hand cymbals. It’s an ecstatic, exciting event.
The festival is sponsored by ISKCON Alachua, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness whose Founder/Acharya, His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, came to America from India forty-five years ago and introduced the timeless tradition of the Festival of the Chariot (called Ratha Yatra in India). Since the 60’s this festival has been held yearly in over 50 major cities in the United States, Canada, and all over the world. Nine Ratha Yatras are held yearly in the state of Florida: Miami, Jacksonville Beach, Tallahassee, Orlando, Tampa, Gainesville, Daytona Beach, Clearwater Beach & St. Augustine.
All are warmly invited to attend this joyous, colorful festival, free of charge. Take advantage of a rare chance to experience the vibrancy of India, right here in Florida. Questions? You may visit our website at www.festivalofchariots.org or contact Bhadra das at 352 316-4560 or Bhadradas@gmail.com or Dharmaraja das at 352 538-0292.
Miami Ratha Yatra Parade & Festival of India
by ISKCON MIAMI
Posted March 12, 2012
The Miami Ratha Yatra Parade & Festival of India March 17 & 18, 2012
WHAT:
An Indian multi-cultural festival will be celebrated with entertainment for the whole family. There will be live music, singing, Indian classical dance, drama, book fair, bazaar, astrology booth, question & answer booth, and lots of delicious vegetarian food. A special feature of the celebration is the Ratha Yatra Parade, the oldest known parade in the world, and the Festival of India.
WHEN:
Saturday, March 17, 2011, 12 Noon to 6 PM; Sunday, March 18, 9AM to 9 PM.
WHERE:
Saturday: Peacock Park Coconut Grove, Miami, FL
Sunday: Hare Krishna Temple, 3220 Virginia St., Coconut Grove, Miami, FL 33133
WHO:
All are welcome. Free admission. Wholesome fun for the entire family
SPECIAL:
VERY VISUAL event with colorful traditional costumes and flower decorations. Photography is permitted.
If you’ve ever dreamt of visiting colorful, exotic India, we have a treat for you. Get a taste of India without leaving Miami on Saturday, March 17 and Sunday, March18. The 2 day Festival, an Indian multi-cultural extravaganza, begins with a Ratha Yatra Parade: Sat. 12 noon and proceeds to Peacock Park Coconut Grove, Miami, FL where the festival continues from 1PM to 6 PM. and Sunday at the Hare Krishna Temple at 3220 Virginia Street in Coconut Grove, 9AM to 9 PM.
There will be lots of family-friendly activities and entertainment: live theatre & music, astrology booth, question & answer booth on Vedic philosophy, classical Indian dance, and a children’s booth for engaging the children. But the big draw is the delicious vegetarian food. There will be plenty available throughout the festival, with big feasts on Saturday at the park and Sunday at the temple.
The Ratha Yatra Procession begins at Noon on Saturday, March 17 at the Hare Krishna Temple, at the corner of Day Avenue & Virginia Street in Coconut Grove. The procession will go West on Day Avenue to 32nd Street, then South to Grand Avenue and East to McFarlane Road, ending at Peacock Park where the festival will continue until 6 PM with entertainment, exhibits and food. The procession’s unique feature is a huge chariot with a blue, red and yellow canopy decorated with swans, lotus flowers, flags, Hanuman and a brass chakra on top. This chariot has two very thick ropes attached to it that are over one hundred feet long. These ropes are pulled by the parade-goers, propelling the chariot along the parade route. Riding on the Chariot are the beautiful Deities of Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra, decorated with stunning silk outfits & real flowers. It’s a vision from another world. Accompanying the procession is lively Indian music and dancing, backed by double-headed mrdanga drums & karatala hand cymbals. It’s an ecstatic, exciting event.
The festival is sponsored by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) whose Founder/Acharya, His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, came to America from India forty-five years ago and introduced the timeless tradition of the Festival of the Chariot (called Ratha Yatra in India). Since the 60’s this festival has been held yearly in over 50 major cities in the United States, Canada, and all over the world. In Florida it is held yearly in Tampa, Tallahassee, Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, Gainesville, St. Augustine, as well as in Miami.
The Festival of India has had inestimable impact on the minds and hearts of countless visitors and active participants. The Festival of India comprises 27 brightly colored tents, a stage with state of the art sound system, dozens of awesome displays, and attractive banners. The Festival of India provides traditional and classical Indian entertainment including classical Indian dances, music such as kirtans and bhajans with sitar, tablas, mridanga drum, harmonium and kartals, as well as theater based on great ancient histories like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.
All are warmly invited to attend this joyous, colorful festival, free of charge. Take advantage of a rare chance to experience the vibrancy of India, right here in South FL.
Questions? Call: Naima Bradman (305) 505-5518 or Heyward A. Bradman (305) 253-5657 or visit our face book page: Ratha Yatra Miami - Festival of India
Here is link to some coverage from last year, a few photos and a good video here: Click Here
Here is a link to an 11 photo slide show in the Daytona News Journal from 2011: Click Here
| 
