In this devotional lecture, the speaker emphasizes the antiquity of the Jagannath Rath Yatra, claiming it to be a 5,000‑year‑old festival referenced in the Ramayana and Skanda Purana. The talk outlines the rapid spread of Rath Yatra celebrations within ISKCON, noting that the first modern Rath Yatra outside India was held in Nairobi in 1985 and that today roughly 150‑200 Rath Yatras occur worldwide each year, with multiple events in Delhi and Bombay. A central anecdote recounts A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada’s childhood passion for organizing a Rath Yatra for children, including a story of his father’s financial concerns, a generous neighbor providing an old chariot, and the ensuing popularity of the event. The speaker then urges listeners to serve Lord Jagannath through enthusiastic chanting, dancing, and loud kirtan, linking this practice to the devotional mood of Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. The lecture concludes with a devotional chant.
Chapters
This Jagannath Rath Yatra festival is actually a very, very old festival. This festival actually is being performed since thousands of years in, in, in Jagannath Puri. It is estimated that this— actually this festival is 5,000-year-old festival. But in the Ramayana also you find mention of the Rath Yatra festival. And even in the Skanda Purana there is reference. So this is a 5,000-year-old festival that is being performed by Prabhupāda's mercy. In different parts of the world. First Rath Yatra was done in Nairobi in 1985, and today there must be at least 150 Rath Yatras being performed by ISKCON devotees all over the world. As I said last night, in Delhi alone they have 8 to 10 Rath Yatras every year. In Bombay they have about 6 Rath Yatras a year. And so If you add the whole world, it's at least 150 to 200. I don't think we've ever counted how many Rath Yatras has come to us. This is a very ancient festival, 5,000 years old on this earthly planet. The first Rath Yatra was held 5,000 years ago. Can you believe that? And today we have the fortune of participating in such a festival again. Prabhupāda was very fond of this festival. Prabhupāda often told us how his father encouraged him to take part in spiritual programs from a young age. And even when Prabhupāda was a small child, 6, 7 years old, he would organize his rāt yātra. In fact, the story is that Prabhupāda, when he was a small child, he would be regularly going to the train station to find out, "When is the next train going to Jagannāthpuri? When is the next train going to Vṛndāvana?" Because Prabhupāda was constantly meditating on going for rāthayātra to Jagannāthpuri.. I'm going forward for going to Vrindavan to visit the places where Lord Kṛṣṇa performed His pastimes. So Prabhupāda's father allowed Prabhupāda to organize a rāṭhyātra for children. That's another thing we as Kṛṣṇa does, rāṭhyātra for children. In all our gurukuls we do that. So Prabhupāda submitted a budget to his father. Prabhupāda's father was a middle-class man. So he found the budget to be too expensive. And he said, "I can't afford this rātīyaṭṭhva. They are making a chariot. It's too expensive." So then Prabhupāda started crying that he's not in the position to organize the rātīyaṭhva. And they were traveling by bus or trolleys and public transportation. So there was a lady, sitting close to or next to, and she saw Prabhupāda abhaya, crying. So she asked Prabhupāda's father, "Why is your son crying?" So Prabhupāda's father said, "He wants to organize a rāth yātra, but to make a chariot is too expensive." So she said, "Oh, I have an old chariot in my house. Why don't you come and take that?" So she gave an old chariot, and then Prabhupāda organized a rādh-yātra. And apparently the rādh-yātra would be organized every year by Prabhupāda. And then rādh-yātra became so popular that Prabhupāda's father's friends would tell Prabhupāda's father, "You organized a rātīyaṭra and you did not invite us." And then Prabhupāda's father would say, "This wasn't organized by me. It was organized by my son, and it was organized for children." So Prabhupāda from childhood has this great attachment to Rādhā-yātra. So, we should meditate on Lord Jagannātha's Rādhā-yātra. Now the question is, how can we serve Him? You can serve Lord Jagannātha by enthusiastically chanting, dancing, and clapping for the pleasure of the Lord. Try to remain with the kirtan party. Then the kirtan is a lot louder. And Lord Jagannath loves to hear kirtan. Lord Jagadguru Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is Krishna Himself appearing in the mood of Radharani. So Lord Jagannath loves to hear kirtan of His devotees. So when we do kirtan, it should be loud, clear, and that will also attract the conditioned soul. So Please enthusiastically chant and dance for the pleasure of Lord Jagannātha. Jagannātha Svāmānta Bālarāma Ki. Hare Kṛṣṇa.
