Ratha Yatra season arrives with the beginning of summer. It’s a time when ISKCON introduces Srila Prabhupada, prasada, the holy name, and especially Lord Jagannatha to thousands of people worldwide!

The Bhakti Writers Community is hosting a writing competition sponsored by the Philadelphia Ratha Yatra Committee. We’re looking for fiction and nonfiction pieces that present Ratha Yatra, kirtan, or Srila Prabhupada.

The winning submission will be published in Philadelphia’s Annual Ratha Yatra souvenir magazine, and there will be other prizes.

Want to build your confidence in your writing? The Bhakti Writers Community offers writers help and support from idea to polished piece.

For submission guidelines and information on prizes: Bhaktiwriters.com/competition

Writing Prompt:

Write a 500-word creative nonfiction piece on the meaning, importance, and/or your experience of kirtan, Ratha Yatra or Srila Prabhupada. Your piece should be engaging, thought-provoking, and resonate with devotees and nondevotees alike.

Creative nonfiction communicates factual information through the literary techniques common to fiction. Biography, personal essay, memoir, and travel writing are examples of creative nonfiction. Deadline: June 15