By Bhaktin Leah Bielat
The 8th annual Orlando Rathayatra was held on Wednesday, September 7, 2022, at the unique location on the campus of the University of Central Florida (UCF) in Orlando, Florida.
The Rathayatra took over the beautiful UCF campus and despite it being a weekday, a good number of devotees were present as well as many UCF students. Devotees and well-wishers pulled Lord Jagannath’s cart through the streets, led by a campus police car. Passersby were drawn to the procession by the sounds of the lively kirtan and were invited to join in.
The cart was brought from 115 miles away by Dharmaraja Deva dasa and his wife Radha-Kunda Rani devi dasi of Alachua, FL. Beautiful Deities of Lord Jagannatha, Lord Balarama, and Devi Subhadra rode majestically on Their chariot to close out the Florida Ratha Yatra season of 2022. Previously, Their Lordships graced the Gasparilla parade in Tampa, Fl, St. Augustine, Clearwater Beach, Tallahassee Spring Parade, Daytona Beach, and Jacksonville Beach Rathayatras.
The destination of this Rathayatra was the Student Union building in the middle of the campus. Inside the large Pegasus Ballroom, the festival portion of the parade began once the Deities were carried from Their chariot to the large stage. Loud, amplified, and lively chanting of the Hare Krsna mantra attracted students to the ballroom. Simultaneously, while students were served delicious wholesome hot vegetarian lunch prasadam, the stage entertainment began.
Read more: https://iskconnews.org/lord-jagannatha-on-university-of-florida-campus/
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