By Devakinandan Das
Hare Krishna Dear Vaishnavas,
Please accept my humble obeisances! All glories to Srila Prabhupada!
Last Sunday 29 July 2007 marked the 5th Annual Chariot Festival of Sri Jagannath, Sri Baladev and Sri Subhadra in ISKCON Singapore. Due to legal and governmental constraints, we are not allowed to bring the Lord to the streets. However, by the Lord’s mercy, devotees gather every year in a peaceful cow farm (Vishnu Dairy Farm) in Singapore. This year was no different and no less ecstatic.
His Grace Bhojadev Prabhu, disciple of Srila Prabhupada and dear friend and well wisher of His Holiness Bhakti Svarup Damodar Maharaj, graced the occasion and led the way in chanting and dancing before Their Lordships. This year, more than 350 devotees, newcomers and well-wishers attended the Festival, pulling the Lord’s Chariot, and taking turns to lead rousing kirtan.
Their Lordships very mercifully gave us all Their exquisite darshan, as They made their way in and around the farm in a specially made chariot. As the venue of the Rath Yatra was the Farm, devotees also had the golden opportunity to feed and honour the cows, who are very dear to the Supreme Lord!
In the beginning, as Their Lordships were being placed in Their Chariot, Lord Jagannath refused to be fitted into His seat. This prompted more intense kirtan from the devotees and The Lord eventually “gave in” and the Chariot began moving! All glories to the Lord of the Universe!
Elsewhere in Singapore, other devotees also gathered in Hindu temples on 28 and 29 July 2007 to conduct equally ecstatic kirtan and chariot festivals for the Lord!
We pray for the blessings of all Vaishnavas to keep us always in the devotional service of the Lord and His devotees!
Your servant,
Devakinandan Das
Singapore
Bhadra Govinda Dasa:
We have been having Ratha Yatra over the past 10 years beginning in our living room, the cart about 2 feet high only with just the Bhakti Vriksha Members and invited guests about 30.
Then we had incresed the size every year a few inches and now the chariot is about
9 feet high.
28th July Saturday we held this mini (in terms of cart size) annual Ratha Yatra in the Arasakesari Sivan Temple in the car park area and we have over 200 devotees and invited guests to draw the cart.
Then we had on 29th July Sunday evening a Ratha Yatra at Sri Perumal Temple at Serangoon Road with 0ver 500 crowd.
However in the morning of Sunday there was a big Ratha Yatra at Lim Chu Kang with a similar big crowd.
Here is a link to more Ratha Yatra photos from Singapore.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/10784664@N06/
Your humble servant,
Bhadra Govinda Dasa.
