The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKON) in Secunderabad has grandly taken out Jagannath Rathyatra (the chariot procession) this morning. With devotees from all across the world taking part in the chariot pulling and raising slogans in devotion, the busy streets of Secunderabad were echoed with Jai Shri Krishna. It is known that ISKON, which has been creating awareness on Lord Krishan (one of the avatars of Lord Vishnu), has called for chariot procession across the temples run by the society in 800 cities across the world today.

Lord Jagannath's (the other name of Shri Krishna) procession was started at Secunderabad and went through all major parts of the city. The overwhelmed devotees apparently forgot themselves and gazed at the beautifully decorated Jagannath deity as the chariot moved. It is known that the original Jagannadha Rathyatra is conducted annually at Puri of Odisha.

The journey actually commemorates the annual procession of Lord Krishna, Lord Balarama and their sister Subhadra to the nearby temple from Puri temple.  However, to spread the consciousness of Krishna, ISKON has been taking out this procession at several parts of the country on the same day ever since  Hare Krishna Movement in 1968.

(AW Phani)