ISKCON NYC Announces 46th Annual Hare KrishnaParade and Festival - Celebrated on 5th Avenue with Festival at Washington Square Park

New York, NY, June 09, 2021 --(PR.com)-- The Hare Krishna Festival, centers around the annual Hare Krishna Parade, also known as Ratha Yatra (Festival of Chariots). To be celebrated Saturday, June 12th, it will be one of New York City’s first public festivals since the start of the pandemic. The festival begins at 11:00am with a parade of people pulling a chariot down 5th Avenue from E. 45th Street, alongside thousands of celebrants playing drums and cymbals and kirtan (singing and chanting of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna…) and continues at Washington Square Park with a free vegetarian feast, served to approximately 5,000 festival goers, and booths selling popular Indian snacks, religious gifts, clothes, and worship items. Featured at the park are exhibits about the Krishna tradition and teachings, books, performances and more.

The Hare Krishna Parade and Festival is organized by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), popularly known as the Hare Krishna Movement.

This year honored guests attending the event include: Eric Adams, 2021 NYC Democratic Mayoral Candidate and Brooklyn Borough President, Mr. Randhir Jaiswal, Consul General of India, Kevin Thomas, NY State Senator, Jenifer Rajkumar, Assembly Member District 38 and Jagdish Sewhani, President of Indian American Public Affairs Committee. Also invited to participate are the Consul Generals from the following Countries: Nepal, Fiji, Bhutan, Taiwan, and Mauritius.

Last year, the COVID-19 pandemic caused the cancellation of the Hare Krishna Festival. This year, the parade and festival are being planned and prepared in accordance with the NYC Department of Health's COVID-19 health and safety guidelines. As public health conditions and the guidance changes, the festival will adapt and adhere to all applicable health protocols, such as capacity restrictions, social distancing, and face coverings where necessary.

What is Ratha Yatra?

Ratha Yatra is the festival of Lord Jagannath (a Deity form of Lord Krishna), who comes out of His temple and into the streets with His entourage: His sister Lady Subhadra and brother Lord Baladeva, to see and bless all of humanity. This festival is celebrated worldwide, with the largest and oldest festival celebrated in Jagannath Puri, the seaside coastal town in Odisha, India.

For the members of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), this festival is a time of spiritual rejuvenation, reflection, and reaffirmation of their faith in their spiritual path by sharing their joyous mantra, music, food, and dancing with the city-at-large.