“Children are the hands by which we take hold of heaven.”
This was certainly true for the devotees and guests at the ISKCON Centre for Culture and Education, Wellington, on the 2nd of July as the young members of our congregation gave us a glimpse of the transcendental world at the annual ICCE Children’s Ratha Yatra, 2022.
Honouring the ancient traditions of the Festival of Chariots at Jagannath Puri, a beautifully decorated miniature ratha carried the resplendent deities of Lord Jagannath, His brother Baladeva and sister Subhadra. The program commenced with the traditional arati of Their Lordships, performed entirely by the children. This was followed by inspiring performances; a toddler’s rhyme by the very youngest of the children, beautiful folk dances, an enthralling bharnatyam performance, dramas and a puppet show depicting various pastimes of the Lord. The dedication and hard work put in by the children in organising and presenting the performances paid off as the audience was transported to the spiritual abode of Lord Jagannath.
The festivities concluded with the pulling of the ratha, first by the children and then the adult members of the congregation. This was followed by a sumptuous feast prepared in honour of the Lord, for the pleasure of all devotees.
It was truly a spiritually enlivening and inspiring evening. The spontaneous love and devotion of the children for Lord Jagannath and their tireless efforts to please Him and His devotees was proof that, by the mercy of Srila Prabhupada, our movement will continue to flourish in future generations, just as Srila Prabhupada had intended it.
Hare Krishna!