| Miami Ratha Yatra |
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| Written by Administrator | |
| Monday, 12 March 2012 21:12 | |
Miami Ratha Yatra Parade & Festival of India HighlightsHeld March 17 & 18, 2012 WHAT: WHEN: WHERE: WHO: SPECIAL: If you’ve ever dreamed of visiting colorful, exotic India, we have a treat for you. Get a taste of India without leaving Miami on Saturday, March 17 and Sunday, March18. The two day festival, an Indian multi-cultural extravaganza, begins with a Ratha Yatra Parade on Saturday at 12:00 noon and proceeds to Peacock Park Coconut Grove, Miami, FL where the festival continues from 1:00 pm to 6:00 pm and Sunday at the Hare Krishna Temple at 3220 Virginia Street in Coconut Grove, 9:00 am to 9:00 pm. There will be lots of family-friendly activities and entertainment: live theater and music, astrology booth, question and answer booth on Vedic philosophy, classical Indian dance, and a children’s booth for engaging the children. But the big draw is the delicious vegetarian food. There will be plenty available throughout the festival, with big feasts on Saturday at the park and Sunday at the temple. The Ratha Yatra Procession begins at Noon on Saturday, March 17 at the Hare Krishna Temple, at the corner of Day Avenue & Virginia Street in Coconut Grove. The procession will go West on Day Avenue to 32nd Street, then South to Grand Avenue and East to McFarlane Road, ending at Peacock Park where the festival will continue until 6 PM with entertainment, exhibits and food. The procession’s unique feature is a huge chariot with a blue, red and yellow canopy decorated with swans, lotus flowers, flags, Hanuman and a brass chakra on top. This chariot has two very thick ropes attached to it that are over one hundred feet long. These ropes are pulled by the parade-goers, propelling the chariot along the parade route. Riding on the Chariot are the beautiful Deities of Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra, decorated with stunning silk outfits & real flowers. It’s a vision from another world. Accompanying the procession is lively Indian music and dancing, backed by double-headed mrdanga drums & karatala hand cymbals. It’s an ecstatic, exciting event. The festival is sponsored by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) whose Founder/Acharya, His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, came to America from India forty-five years ago and introduced the timeless tradition of the Festival of the Chariot (called Ratha Yatra in India). Since the 60’s this festival has been held yearly in over 50 major cities in the United States, Canada, and all over the world. In Florida it is held yearly in Tampa, Tallahassee, Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, Gainesville, St. Augustine, as well as in Miami. The Festival of India has had inestimable impact on the minds and hearts of countless visitors and active participants. The Festival of India comprises 27 brightly colored tents, a stage with state of the art sound system, dozens of awesome displays, and attractive banners. The Festival of India provides traditional and classical Indian entertainment including classical Indian dances, music such as kirtans and bhajans with sitar, tablas, mridanga drum, harmonium and kartals, as well as theater based on great ancient histories like the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. All are warmly invited to attend this joyous, colorful festival, free of charge. Take advantage of a rare chance to experience the vibrancy of India, right here in South FL. Questions? Call: Naima Bradman (305) 505-5518 or Heyward A. Bradman (305) 253-5657 or visit our face book page: Ratha Yatra Miami - Festival of India. Here is link to some coverage from last year, a few photos and a good video here: Click Here Here is a link to an 11 photo slide show in the Daytona News Journal from 2011: Click Here |
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| Last Updated on Saturday, 31 March 2012 18:03 |
