By Jamal Arjuna Salter
More than 100,000 people lined the streets to witness the 2014 Carnival of Flowers Parade and there, right in the middle of it, was Lord Jagganatha, Baladeva and Subhadra righting the iconic rate cart covered in flowers pulled by the devotees.
The deities and the dancing, chanting devotees were welcomed by the cheers and waves of thousands upon thousands of people lining the streets to celebrate the culture and history of Toowoomba all listening to the sound of the Holy Names.
Later that day the Ratha Yatra cart was awarded second prize in the cultural division of the parade.
More recently the TOOWOOMBA Carnival of Flowers won the Festival and Events silver prize at the 2014 Queensland Tourism Awards.
Tourism Minister Jann Stuckey described the awards as a benchmark for industry excellence.
“Operators who strive to find something extra, and give tourists an experience they will never forget, should be congratulated,” she said.
The Queensland times reported the award win on their front page using a photograph of the Rath cart and the devotees to illustrate the culture, colour and spectacle of the yearly festival.
The festival entry was arranged and managed by the Gold Coast Bhakti Centre.
Who came first, Prabhus?
Who came first and what did they do?