Lord Jagannath, Baladev, and Subhadra smilingly oversee the parade – by CINECAVES Photography

On Sunday, June 23, 2024, in the heart of the Okanagan Valley of British Columbia, Canada, a colourful and jubilant parade wound its way through Kelowna’s lakeside City Park. The Festival of Chariots was a first for the city, and it was met with much excitement from locals, with an unexpected 1,500 people in attendance.

VIP guests included the “Walking Monk” himself, Bhaktimarga Swami, Mayor Tom Dyas, Councillor Mohini Singh, and Kelowna Lake-Country MP Tracy Gray.

The festival began at 10 a.m. with Lord Jagannath, Baladev, and Subhadra ascending Their chariot amidst ecstatic kirtan.  The small crowd grew to hundreds with the attractive sound.  The Puja was then conducted, followed by an introductory speech by Bhaktimarga Swami explaining the festival and mood to onlookers and participants.  Mayor Tom Dyas and MP Tracy Gray took up brooms to sweep before the Lord’s Chariot just as the king of Puri would.

The crowds were delighted by the sumptuous feast and the stage performances, including Bharatanatyam dance, drama, and kirtan. Others enjoyed gopi dot face painting, feeding and petting oxen Ramananda Raya and Dharma Mani courtesy of Saranagati’s Ahimsa Goshala and the children’s activity tent, which was run by local Vaishnava youth.

While having her gopi dots painted, a local resident remarked that she was hosting a student from Japan. The previous day, she took her to an indigenous pow-wow and now a Hindu festival.  She was so proud to be able to show off the diversity of Canadian cultures to her guest and was thrilled that the event was taking place.

The festival was made possible by the cooperative efforts of the Kelowna Hindu Cultural Society, ISKCON Saranagati, ISKCON Vancouver, and a handful of local Kelowna devotees.

This was not only the first Kelowna Ratha Yatra but also the first time the organisation team, consisting of Ashok Tyagi of the Hindu Cultural Society, Hari Kirtan Das from Kamloops, and Karuna Shakti Devi Dasi from Kelowna, had worked together or organised such an event.  They enlisted the help of devotees from communities three to four hours away to bring Lord Jagannath to the city. This historic first Festival of Chariots will surely not be the last.

To follow the ongoing service of devotees in Kelowna, please visit their Facebook page. Hari Kirtan Das from Kamloops, who serves as the Chaplain at Thompson River University, also conducts a daily virtual Japa call and daily virtual Gita class.  Bhakti in BC connects those interested in and/or practicing Bhakti throughout the large province. To learn more, click here.