Govt. Minister Inaugurates Bangalore Ratha Yatra

July 10, 2003

ISKCON Bangalore has a unique Ratha Yatra every year. The 2 feet high brass Deities of Sri Krishna and Balarama, appearing as six-year old boys, travel in a South Indian styled chariot, about 50 feet high. On Tuesday, March 21st, the devotees of ISKCON, Bangalore organized the annual Ratha Yatra.

The festival was inaugurated by Sri RV Deshpande, Minister for Industries and Sri Srikantaiah, Minister for Revenue, Government of Karnataka. During the inaugural ceremony, both these high-ranking ministers praised the monumental temple in Bangalore while nearly 1500 devotees anxiously waited to pull the Ratha. Sri RV Deshpande, who visits the temple regularly, began his address by making the audience chant the Hare Krishna mantra. Sri Srikantiah openly gave his word of assurance that he would grant a piece of land in Hubli, a city about 500 kms north of Bangalore, where ISKCON has applied for land. He also appealed that ISKCON should build a temple as grand and magnificent as the one in Bangalore.

Sri Madhu Pandit Dasa, the Temple President, presented the glorious accomplishments of ISKCON Bangalore since the inauguration of the temple in 1997. He said that Srila Prabhupada had desired that ISKCON distribute Lord Krishna's mercy in three important forms: Transcendental literature, the Holy Names and Prasadam. He said that since it's inauguration 5.1 million people had visited the temple, 765 tonnes of prasadam and 410,000 pieces of transcendental literature had been distributed. He also mentioned that the guests are enthusiastically participating in the Japa yajna program and in three months 500 million Holy Names have already been chanted by the temple visitors.

This program was inaugurated on January 1st, 2000. Visitors are invited to chant the Hare Krishna mantra 108 times before they enter the temple. The purpose of this program is to engage visitors to the temple in chanting a total of over one billion Holy Names during this year.

The Ratha Yatra was also attended by senior leaders of ISKCON in India. Sri Adridharan Dasa, Temple President, ISKCON Calcutta, Sri Yashomatinandan Dasa, Temple President, ISKCON Ahmedabad, Sri Mahaman Dasa, Temple President, ISKCON Vrndavana, Sri Devakinandan Dasa, Temple Vice-president, ISKCON Bombay and Sri Rasaraja Dasa, Director, Bhaktivedanta Institute also spoke briefly during the one-hour inaugural ceremony. All these devotees are also members of the ISKCON Bureau - the legal entity that actually runs ISKCON.

Devotees had also come from many temples of South India to participate in the Ratha Yatra.The procession started from the ISKCON temple, traversed through the busy streets and returned to the temple after five hours. The City Police had diverted the traffic where the chariot had to pass and this facilitated thousands of people to witness the Ratha Yatra. The streets all along the procession were washed with water and illuminated by special electric lights set up by the devoted residents and shopkeepers to greet the Lord. About 15,000 small packets and 40,000 leaf cups of prasadam were distributed. Devotees performed kirtana enthusiastically all along the route.

Another unique feature of this Ratha Yatra is that people bring fruits, flowers and coconuts to offer the Lord. The Ratha stopped every 50 to 100 feet to receive such offerings. It is very heartening to note that every year the pa rticipation of the local people has been increasing. Madhu Pandit Prabhu remarked - "We could see long stretches of the streets filled with people waiting to have darshana of the Lord. This year the turnout has been the highest ever."