Join the Festival of the Chariots with joyful kirtan, free vegetarian food, cultural performances, and the majestic procession of Lord Jagannatha.
15 August
Temple to City Centre
For everyone
Ratha Yatra, the Festival of the Chariots, is one of the oldest spiritual festivals in the world. Lord Jagannatha, Lord Baladeva and Subhadra Devi ride on beautifully decorated chariots through the city, accompanied by music, dancing and mantra meditation.
The people of Hare Krishna are very well known for their singing and dancing on the streets. Two times in the year we do it in a bigger style, on Kingsday and the Chariot Parade Festival, also known as Ratha Yatra. On this day, we welcome the Lord of the Universe, known as Lord Jagganatha, a form of Krishna, and His brother Baladeva and Sister Subhadra in Amsterdam, and invite them to sit on a big chariot, which we will pull (with a rope) through the streets. Starting from the Pijp, we will go all the way to Dam Square, where a big festival with stage program and several market booths is organised. On the way to Dam Square we chant the following mantra: Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare. These are names of Krishna, which we chant out of love for Him. In the end we are all equal, and we all want peace and happiness, and by singing and dancing in this way, we want to share this feeling of happiness with everyone.
The Ratha Yatra, or Festival of the Chariots, originates from the sacred city of Puri in Odisha, India, where it has been celebrated for many centuries. Every year, Lord Jagannatha (Krishna as the Lord of the Universe), together with His brother Lord Baladeva and sister Subhadra Devi, leaves the Jagannatha Temple and travels on magnificent wooden chariots to the Gundicha Temple, accompanied by millions of pilgrims, joyful kirtan, and devotional celebrations. Ancient scriptures such as the Brahma Purana, Padma Purana, and Skanda Purana describe this festival, making it one of the oldest and most revered spiritual celebrations in the world.
In 1967, His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada introduced Ratha Yatra to the Western world by organizing the first modern festival outside India in San Francisco. Since then, ISKCON has brought the festival to hundreds of cities worldwide, allowing people everywhere to experience the mercy of Lord Jagannatha through chanting, dancing, spiritual culture, and the sharing of sanctified vegetarian food. ([Wikipedia][2])
The parade will start from the Hare Krishna Temple at the Lizzy Ansinghstraat 80 at 12:00. The full route towards Dam Square is disclosed in the map. Click on it to view the route in Google Maps.
Food for Life is the world's largest vegetarian food relief program, inspired by the Vedic principle that no one should go hungry. Founded by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), the initiative provides millions of nutritious vegetarian meals each year to people in need, regardless of their background, nationality, or religion.
At Ratha Yatra, sharing food is an essential part of the festival. Visitors are warmly invited to enjoy a free vegetarian feast, lovingly prepared and first offered to Lord Krishna as *prasadam*—food sanctified by devotion. In the Vedic tradition, prasadam nourishes not only the body but also the heart, bringing people together in a spirit of friendship, gratitude, and spiritual well-being. We invite everyone to experience this timeless tradition and share in the joy of giving and receiving.
The Hare Krishna maha-mantra is one of the oldest and most sacred prayers of the Vedic tradition. It consists of sixteen names of God:
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare
The mantra is a joyful meditation that awakens our natural love for God and brings peace to the heart and mind. The words *Hare*, *Krishna*, and *Rama* are names of the Supreme Lord and His divine spiritual energy. By chanting these names with sincerity, anyone can experience inner happiness, regardless of age, nationality, or religious background.
During Ratha Yatra, thousands of people sing this mantra together in a vibrant procession through the streets. Accompanied by traditional instruments, dancing, and joyful celebration, the chanting creates an atmosphere of unity, peace, and spiritual happiness. Everyone is warmly invited to join in and experience the uplifting power of the Hare Krishna maha-mantra.
His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, also known as Srila Prabhupada, is the Founder-Acarya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, or the Hare Krishna movement. In 1967 he came from India to the United States, and introduced the Hare Krishna mantra in the western world, opened several temples and centres and attracted a lot of people in the Hare Krishna philosophy. In 1969 he organised the first Chariot Parade in the western world, in San Francisco, and since then this festival is held in several major cities in the world on annual basis. We are greatly indebted to Srila Prabhupada for all his endeavours and thankfull to him that we can organise this festival this year again.
During the festival volunteers distribute spiritual literature that has inspired millions worldwide.