Sri Jagannatha Baladeva Subhadra Ratha Yatra | ISKCON Vaikuntha Hill | 20 June 2023

Sri Jagannatha Baladeva Subhadra Ratha Yatra is a grand festival which takes place in the month of Ashada (June-July). The significance of this festival can be traced back to the times of Lord Krishna on Earth around 5,000 years ago. On the occasion of a solar eclipse, Lord Krishna, Balarama and Subhadra left Dvaraka on a chariot to visit Kurukshetra. The news of their journey reached the residents of Vrindavan, and they also went there. The ecstatic reunion of the residents of Vrindavan with Krishna after He had left them to go to Mathura and later Dvaraka is the inspiration for this festival. Although Krishna was now dressed in royal attire and surrounded by horses, chariots and other signs of being among the royal order, the residents of Vrindavan still saw Him as their dear lovable Krishna of Vrindavan. They wanted to take Him back with them to Vrindavan and even pulled the ropes of His chariot. In commemoration of this event, the Ratha Yatra is celebrated. Later on, in the 1960s and 70s, Srila Prabhupada, the Founder-Acharya of ISKCON, took this great tradition all over the world.