Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare.

ISKCON(The International Society for Krishna Consciousness) was established in 1966 by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada (Srila Prabhupada)

Krishna is a deity worshiped across many traditions in Hinduism in a variety of perspectives.

Krishna is often depicted as an infant, as a young boy playing a flute as in the Bhagavata Purana, or as a youthful prince giving direction and guidance as in the Bhagavad Gita.

The Bhagavad Gita (Song of God) is an important Sanskrit Hindu scripture.

The Bhagavad Gita is a part of the Mahabharata and the teacher of the Gita is Lord Krishna.

Responding to Arjunas confusion and moral dilemma, Krishna explains to Arjuna his duties as a warrior and prince and elaborates on different Yogic and Vedantic philosophies, with examples and analogies.

Since the Bhagavad Gita represents a summary of the Upanishadic teachings, it is also called as the Upanishad of the Upanishads.

Although Lord Krishna became a great king in His time, His childhood He spent in the village of Vrindavan.

There He sported with the cowherd boys and girls, and of all of them, Radharani was His most beloved.

When Lord Krishna left Vrindavan to become king of Dvarka, however, Shrimati Radharanis lamentation was unequalled in the universe.

She never gave up hope that He would someday return to Her. In this way She enjoys a special transcendental long known as vipralambha-bhava, or the mood of love-in-separation.

Once when Lord Krishna was king, He met Radharani and Her friends in a secluded place at Kurukshetra.

But when Radharani saw Krishna in His princely grad, with full opulence and regalia, She longed to see Him as the simple cowherd boy She once knew.

She longed to bring Him back to Vrindavan.

The mood of wanting to bring Lord Krishna back to the intimacy of Vrindavan is the confidential theme of the Ratha-yatra festival.

When devotees pull the long, sturdy ropes of the Ratha-yatra cart they are pulling Krishna back into their hearts - back to the land of Vrindavan.

Radha and Krishna incarnated as Caitanya Mahaprabhu, and in this way, They were reunited - in His body.

Yet during His last years, which He spent in Jagannath Puri, Lord Chaitanya fully manifested the mood of Radharani and relentlessly lamented the divine tragedy of Radha and Krishnas separation.

Every year in Puri, Lord Caitanya celebrated the Ratha-yatra festival in Radharanis mood of pulling Krishna back to the simple, villagelike atmosphere of Vrindavan.

Mahaprabhu taught that this feeling of separation actually evokes the presence of Krishna and, ultimately, gives way to the highest happiness. This is the internal meaning of Ratha-yatra.

All are welcome, regardless of religious/spiritual affiliation, ethnic origin, race, nationality, language or any other temporary bodily designation in this lifetime.

Dont let the crowds deter you from coming, it is still nothing compared to the Jagannatha Puri Rathyatra festival in India.

Bring the whole family, there will be a lot of other events going on at the national mall area, and the fireworks are also very nice.

Program includes Rathyatra parade, Free Vegetarian Feast, Indian restaurant, Live Music, Yoga, Dance, Drama, Exibits, completely ecstatic kirtans (spiritual music), Q and A tent and much more.

When: July 4th, 10:30 am - 9 PM.

Where: 4th Street between Madison and Jefferson St, Washington DC in National Mall near Smithsonian Indian American Museum.

If you arrive earlier in the day, there are free parking spots on the north side of the national mall area around the Department of Labor, and behind the Canadian Embassy, and you will have to walk a few blocks to enter the festival site through security check points.

You can also take Amtrak, MARC, VRE or Metro trains or Metro, Greyhound buses to arrive very close to the Festival of India site.

Rathyatra is part of the Independence Day Parade. Rathyatra participants need to be at 7th St. and Madison Drive near the Rath (the tall red chariot) by 10:30 am.

Be prepared to walk/dance for about 2 hours. Please come to Festival of India site if you can not walk in the Rathyatra.

Children under the age of 13 years are not allowed in the procession. Once you are in the procession you must stay with the procession until the end.

If you arrive late, please do not try to enter the moving procession. In case it is hot and sunny, bring a hat, sunscreen, water bottle, etc.

The seating area at the festival will be covered by tents. Please bring strollers if you have little kids.

In case of rain, the Rathayatra and Festival of India will still go on.

Please bring fresh and dry fruits and nuts (uncooked) for offerings to be made to the Deities throughout the afternoon.

Bring your own instruments such as flutes, mrdangas, karatals, gongs, etc. The DC Rathyatra is a little more formal compared to others.

Only for the Rathyatra parade, participants, men have to be in kurta, dhoti/pajama, and women have to be in sari/gopi dress/salwar kurta, preferably in red, blue and white.

Smiling and waving during the parade is highly encouraged. The parade is seen by thousands and is televised nationally.

A lot of volunteer help is needed for a large festival of this magnitude where tens of thousands of people are served free prasadam and get exposed to vedic culture, spiritual life, vegetarianism.

>City(s) = Washington DC; State(s) = DC; Country = USA.
>Title = Festival of India - ISKCON Rathyatra, Washington DC, USA - Video.
>Keywords = Festival of India, Rathyatra, Washington DC, Hare Krishna, Hare Rama, ISKCON, Prabhupada, Srila, Bhagavad Gita, Lord krishna, Arjuna, veda, vedic, yoga, Upanishad, Upanishads, Vrindavan, ratha yatra, hindu, Jagannath, puri, Radharani, july 4th parade, Independenc, day, Free Vegetarian Feast, Indian restaurant, Live Music, Dance, Drama, Exibits, National Mall, ourtripvideos, our, trip, videos, crlapindfrn, culture, spiritual, life, vegetarianism, video, Vishwa, Orissa, Balarama, Subhadra, changing bodies, USA, Chariots (86)
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