SOME 1,500 devotees took part in a procession which saw devotees pulling three gigantic wooden chariots through the heritage streets of Penang as a show of love for Lord Krishna.
The procession was held by the Hare Krishna Movement to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the Ratha Yatra (Chariot Festival) of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) Botanical Garden branch.
The three-hour procession started from the Sivan Temple on Jalan Datuk Keramat before ending at the Penang Chinese Town Hall (PCTH).
Devotees had gathered at the temple as early as 4pm for the procession which started at 5pm on Saturday.
A medley of Indian cultural dances was held as soon as the procession arrived at the PCTH.
The devotees then gathered inside the hall to listen to spiritual talks conducted by ISKCON’s top spiritual leaders.
During the event, vegetarian food was also distributed to the public for free at the PCTH as part of ISKCON’s Food For Life programme.
ISKCON secretary Ramananda Dasa said that the significance of the event is a symbolic remembrance of the time when Lord Krishna’s devotees would pull the chariots out of love.
“Besides that, we also hope to raise about RM40,000 from generous supporters and well-wishers to replace our old van which is being used for our weekly programmes,” he said.
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