Click here for photos of the 1999 London Rathayatra

Times of India - LONDON, August 12, 1999: About 20,000 people are expected to join the "East-West Celebration" of the 31st international "Rath Yatra" festival at Trafalgar Square here on August 15.

Keith Vaz, Parliamentary Secretary to the Lord Chancellor's office and the first Asian minister of Britain, will present the main theme of the festival --`East-West cooperation for the next millennium', the organisers of the festival said Wednesday.

Hundreds of people will pull a 40-foot high, brightly painted wooden chariot, with its familiar temple-shaped canopy, from Hyde Park corner at 12 noon. To the chant of "Hare Krishna", the procession will pass through the main thoroughfares and culminate in a public festival at Trafalgar Square where consecrated images of Lord Jagannath, the "Lord of the Universe", will be placed. The festival will feature colourful plays from ancient Indian history, classical dance, music, books and talks.

The "Rath Yatra" is a 5000-year-old festival commemorating Lord Krishna and is held annually at Puri in Orissa. The founder of ISKCON, Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, first brought the festival to London in 1968. It has now become an annual feature attracting thousands of people every year. (PTI)

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© CHAKRA 29-Nov-2003

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