After months of planning and meditation we were able to offer the first Rathayatra in Arkansas for the pleasure of Srila Prabhupada. The celebration was on Sunday October 2nd at River Market in Little Rock, AR.
Preparations for the event began in March when my husband and I bought a farm cart that was abandoned in a field in North Arkansas. We had a vision to turn this antique cart dating from the early 1900s into a beautiful chariot that we could pull Srila Prabhupada and Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva and Lady Subhadra along the streets of different towns in Arkansas.
The cart wheels and axels were made of steel so we began by removing all the wood. I then painted the steel frame and began drawing a plan on how to build the wooden structure. My husband and I had never tried building anything before. But with care and a prayer the chariot gradually began to take shape.
A trip to Dallas Rathayatra in May allowed us to study how the canopy of their chariot was attached and the mechanism for raising and lowering the canopy. On returning home to Arkansas my husband figured out a similar method for our chariot.
Whilst the Chariot began manifesting in our front yard we had to decide which town we would hold the festival, how we could arrange it and where the deities were to come from. I checked online and could not find any large Jagannath deities to buy.
Little Rock is the state capital of Arkansas so it was appropriate that the first Rathayatra should take place there. Alongside the Arkansas River is a very cosmopolitan area called River Market. Families enjoy walking and cycling along the river, the Clinton Presidential Library is located there and there are restaurants, bars, museums. It is popular with locals and tourists.
In Little Rock is an international manufacturing company from India called Welspun. The company has a Radha Krsna Temple on their property. The pujaris and the senior vice president were very excited at having a Rathayatra in the city. They immediately mobilized their employees and we had the help we needed to put on the festival and parade. One employee came from Jagannath Puri and he had his father arrange for carving of the deities. He then had Them flown over.
The festival began with talks about Rathayatra and its promotion of peace and love, from HG Devakananda Prabhu GBC in Mumbhai, HG Visvambara Prabhu from Dallas and HG Nityananda Dasa GBC in Dallas. Devotees from Washington DC led 300 people singing and dancing in the streets of River Market, as the divine glance of Lord Jagannath, Lord Baladeva and Lady Subhadra graced everyone who saw Them .
Through mercy everything came together.
Sri Rangavati devi dasi is a disciple of HH Indradyumna Swami her husband Bhavananda dasa is a disciple of HH Hridayananda Dasa Goswami. They live in Arkadelphia, AR where they now serve the Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra deities.
Comments