Dublin Rathayatra 2018

HareKrishna dear friends & devotees of Lord Jagannath!!

This year’s Dublin Ratha Yatra (festival of chariots/festival of India) falls on Saturday, July 28th. It will begin at 11:30 am from Merrion Square South to St. Stephen's Green. Please arrange your travel plan accordingly and include Ratha Yatra in your itinerary!

Rathayatra is a huge festival for Lord Krishna and His devotees. Everyone chants the Hare Krishna maha-mantra and dances in ecstasy as Krishna in His most merciful form of Jagannatha is pulled along on a huge wooden cart. The chariot of ‘Jagannatha, ‘Balarama’ and ‘Subhadra’ is splendidly decorated each year, and then pulled by crowds through the city streets. People of all nations and faiths are invited to join in this festival “for the soul”.

This event has been a showcase of Irish and Indian cultural integration. Over the years we have received Citations of Appreciation from the Irish President, Indian Embassy Officials, Mayor & local Council delegates praising the intrinsic cultural value of this event. This has culminated in an official proclamation of Rathayatra Day from the Mayor's office. In order to make this happen we need support from the community, every bit counts so please help us make this happen!

In the lead up to the festival, one of the most important things is raising the funds required to pay for everything. Funds are needed for the huge free vegetarian feast served to everyone, decorations, and the transportation costs of bringing the Lord's cart over from London to name a few. Thus we kindly request you all to help support this beautiful and ancient festival originating from Puri, India by donating whatever you can? To give something to Krishna (who is the owner of everything), is an extremely elevated activity-whether you give some of your time to hear and chant, some of your energy, some of your money.

Ratha Yatra is a completely non-sectarian event where everyone is welcome and no-one is excluded. We encourage all communities to participate and hope all kinds of public will attend. Thank so much for your time and hoping you can all join us for this great family festival on the 28th of July!

Any questions please contact us directly on [email protected], 0863036564,868582392. For more information on how you can attend or get involved, visit www.rathayatra.ie

Many thanks,

Your servant@ Rathayatra Ireland Committee