On July 7th, Surat hosted a Rathayatra that will be remembered for its grandeur and spiritual significance. The day dawned with mild clouds and gentle sunshine, providing a perfect setting for Lord Jagannatha’s divine journey through the city streets.

The atmosphere was charged with spiritual fervor as devotees, and curious onlookers alike thronged the path of the magnificent chariot. Despite the textile markets and shops along the route being closed, devotees tirelessly distributed books to every soul eager for darshan.

The Rathayatra parade was an incredible 1.5 kilometers in length, with several kirtan parties and vibrant images portraying the Lord’s pastimes along the 14 km journey. Lord Jagannath was accompanied by soldiers of Prabhupada’s army, who held books in their hands. Amidst the enthusiastic crowds, the devotees found and gave books to thousands of fortunate souls. In the six hours of dedicated book distribution service, two vans with 15 devotees supplied books for about 150 devotees who shared with the crowd or enthusiastically distributed in the shops and homes along the route.

The event was also graced by the presence of Guru Prasad Swami, GBC Chairman, who joined at 5 PM. He actively participated in the kirtan festivities, leading different teams to chant the Holy Names. His joyful presence and active involvement were a special gift to the entire Rathayatra, spreading joy and blessings among the devotees.

Guru Prasad Swami’s enthusiasm knew no bounds as he distributed prasadam from the chariot for over two hours without fatigue. Thousands of souls were blessed to receive prasadam with his blessings along the Rathayatra route. His youthful vigor and spiritual zeal were evident as he lovingly tossed prasadam packets to the delighted crowd.

Devotees were reminded of the instructions of Srila Prabhupada on book distribution, “These books and magazines are our most important propaganda weapons to defeat the ignorance of maya’s army, and the more we produce such literature and sell it profusely all over the world, the more we shall deliver the world from its suicide course. So, your work is the most important preaching work. May Krşņa bless you more and more. Thank you for helping me in this way” (Letter to Jayadvaita, November 18, 1972).

In the spirit of service and devotion, the devotees distributed books with utmost enthusiasm, achieving an impressive Rathayatra Marathon distribution score:
– 28 Sets of Srimad Bhagavatam (18 Vol Set)
– 5 Sets of Sri Chaitanya Charitamrta (9 Vol Set)
– 1,587 Maha Big Books
– 124 Medium Books
– 3,840 Small Books
– 300 Loose BTG copies

Vrindavan Das (President), Sachisuta Das, Chandra-Govinda Das, Sarvadukhahara Krishna Das, Vishnu Gopinatha Das, Brahmatirtha Das, Kartika Chandra Das, and many other devotees efficiently administered the entire Rath Yatra. Senior devotees from Surat graced the event, adding their blessings to the festivities. Radhesh Das meticulously managed the book distribution parties. All glory to Srila Prabhupada and his transcendental book distribution.

For more photos from the event, please click here.