By Karuna Dharini Dasi
It was a fine sight for the eyes of thousands of conditioned souls. The parade spanned one mile in length and was led by a large assembly of Brahmans (initiated priests). Vaisesika Dasa led the priests in singing and chanting Vedic hymns from the Brahma-Samhita along with many various prayers. Following that group was a twelve member marching band joyfully and skillfully playing Hare Krishna mantra melodies with horns and percussion instruments.
Next in the procession came groups of dancing ladies wearing “gopi skirts”, waving large, ruffled cloth fans of white and pastel colors. Strong, melodic kirtaniyas came next, loudly and clearly singing the sound vibration of the holy names of God: Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare.
What followed was stupendous and caused hundreds of people to fill up the otherwise droll and vacant streets just to see it. The grand and magnificent chariot of Lord Jagannath, followed by the stately and magnificent chariots of Subhadra and Baladeva, peacefully made their way down Main Street, and turned right onto Rose Avenue to access the Ocean Front Walk. The chariots were as if floating downhill toward the sea. Though the weather was extremely hot, the kirtan parties were undaunted. By the time the parade was well onto the Boardwalk thousands of people were singing, dancing, pulling the heavy chariots, or just taking photos and staring at what they saw.
Upon arrival at the Festival Site, Lord Jagannath was seated comfortably adjacent to the Main stage which featured bhajan, kirtan and Bharata-natyam. One tent featured a twenty minute slide show tracing the origins and history of the Los Angeles festival with photos of volunteers and participants in 1977, when the festival was in its first year. Educational exhibits, a children’s activities tent and yoga demonstration area were popular with the crowds. A five course prasadam meal was distributed to 7,000.
IN this way, Los Angeles ISKCON temple, New Dwaraka, celebrated its Golden Jubilee Fiftieth Anniversary Festival of Ratha-yatra with strong enthusiasm for the pleasure of Their Lordships Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra, and His Divine Grace Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. The festival took place on August 2nd here in Los Angeles in Santa Monica and Venice and was very well attended by devotees from all over the world. Due to being in its Fiftieth year, the state of California legislature awarded New Dwaraka a certificate of Recognition, (the words of which are included in this article). Simultaneously, the city of Santa Monica declared the festival a “Signature Event”, and waived all pending permit fees for the 50th anniversary 2026 festival.
The Consul General of India for Los Angeles, Dr. K.J. Srinivasa, offered words of gratitude and congratulations to ISKCON in his talk on the main stage. Four news channels attended the event to broadcast the parade and festival site with interviews from various devotees.
The California Legislature Certificate of Recognition reads as follows,
On behalf of the 55th Assembly District, we are proud to recognize the International Society for Krishna Consciousness of Los Angeles upon its 50th Annual Festival of the Chariots (Ratha-yatra), celebrating five decades of service and cultural contribution to the Los Angeles community. Since 1977, the festival has brought together thousands of residents and visitors from diverse backgrounds through music, dance, cultural traditions and sharing free vegetarian meals. Made possible by the dedication of countless volunteers, the Los Angeles Ratha-yatra is one of the longest-running Indian cultural festivals in Southern California, promoting community engagement, cultural appreciation, and interfaith goodwill. We congratulate the International Society for Krishna Consciousness of Los Angeles on this milestone and thank them for their continued commitment for serving the community. We wish them continued success in the years ahead.