Last Sunday, visitors of Moscow`s Russian Exhibition Center encountered an unusual sight: a richly decorated chariot moving around in the flowery central park. The previous Ratha Yatra took place here exactly fifteen years ago, in the summer of 1995.

This year, the ancient Indian Festival aimed to attract the attention of the people in Moscow to the importance of healthy life-style. The Italian guitarist Paolo Tofany, the band “Umbela”, popular singer Nikolay Demidov and other artists happily took part in implementing the idea of a sober society. The advantages of healthy life-style were also demonstrated by the performance of Moscow`s aikido club, the “Koynobory”.

The host of the concert “Common Cause: in support of healthy life-style”, popular singer Nikolay Demidov said: “I believe that the cause of the Russians` health improvement and of their deliverance from bad habits should widely involve religious people, for whom healthy life-style is natural state of consciousness. For example, the Hare Krishna people don’t smoke, don’t drink alcohol and don’t take drugs. If you see the good example it’s easier to give up your weaknesses.”

There were several senior ISKCON leaders participating at the festival, including Bhakti Vigyana Gosvami, Radhanatha Swami, Niranjana Swami, Srila Purnachandra Goswami and Srila Nitai Chaitania Goswami, who was initiated into the renounced sannyasa order of life the day before.

To see the panoramic view of the festival: http://panofoto.ru/images/portfolio/middle/quicktime/27/Jagganath/Jagganath.html