by Nartaka Gopala dasi
On Sunday, January 4, 2026, the devotees and congregation of ISKCON Miami participated in the 41st Annual King Mango Strut Parade held in Coconut Grove, Miami. Dharmaraja Deva das and his wife Radha Kunda Rani devi brought the big Ratha Yatra chariot down from Alachua, Florida for the vibrant Ratha Yatra inside of the parade. This was the first Ratha Yatra of 2026. Lords Jagannath, Baladev and Subhadra Devi definitely blessed the state of Florida with Their divine presence. The Ratha Yatra was organized this year by Jayadwaja das, disciple of His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder and Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness.
ISKCON Miami has participated in this parade for many of the more than forty years of its existence. An awesome highlight of the parade is the Ratha Yatra chariot, which is consistently recognized as one of the best floats in the event. This year, the Ratha Yatra was accompanied by over 150 devotees and witnessed by more than 10,000 parade participants and spectators, making it one of the largest parades in Florida.
The Rath Chariot received extensive media coverage from major news outlets such as Channel 7 TV, Channel 10 TV, Miami Today newspaper, and others. Our group was warmly introduced by the main host over the loudspeaker as the oldest participating group in the parade, with the announcement:
“Give a hand to the Hare Krishnas!” They also acknowledged our long-standing presence in Coconut Grove, where many local residents regularly see devotees chanting and distributing literature.
After completing the parade route—greeting thousands of people and distributing a large amount of spiritual literature—we continued with a back Ratha Yatra to the feast at the temple, four blocks away, accompanied by Harinam Sankirtan. Many parade spectators joyfully joined in. One participant, Sam, expressed, “I love the Hare Krishnas. They are very nice—especially the ones in the Grove.”
We are grateful for everyone’s continued support and encouragement, which makes these wonderful preaching opportunities possible. We look forward to sharing this joyous festival with you again in the future.
Video Clip Ratha Yatra best video.mp4