At Bronte Heritage Park, our Oakville branch of devotees organized their annual Chariot Fest at the harbour of Lake Ontario where gracious swans call it home. People in the neighbourhood enjoy this waterfront green property, but this afternoon there was a unique feature. Tents housing bhakti paraphernalia were present, a large shelter for nutritious food, directions India, and consecrated. Another awning for a 12 by 16 stage got busy with presentations, including the drama, The Age of Kali put together by members of our Bhakti Academy. The team was phenomenal. I was so proud of them. Yamuna Jivana, my Cuban student who is most likely one of the top tattoo artists in the city, if not the country, did a nice job at makeup.
The message – the optics of the play were powerful.
However, one of the top attractions of the Chariot Fest was the Chariot ride itself. The vehicle is truly more of a glorified cart, but one day, as the community grows, we shall see a more substantial conveyance which usually reflects a moving temple.
A highlight for me was the interaction with festival goers. There are the familiar versus the unfamiliar attendees. Folks that are new have questions about the meaning of the fest. To answer them, we shall simply say that life is meant for more than just surviving. We are here to express gratitude to the Creator who goes by many names. “Jagannatha” is one of them, defined as The Lord of the Universe. The Fest is designed to say, “Thank you!” and to not complain.
Source: https://www.thewalkingmonk.net/post/the-chariot-wheels-keep-turning
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