London Rath Yatra, the chariot festival of Lord Puri Jagannath, will be celebrated in granad manner in London on 18 June 2017. Thousands of pilgrims are expected to participate in the annual Hare Krishna Festival, held by International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).
40-foot high bright and colourful chariots carrying Lord Jagannath, Subhadra and Balarama are pulled by enthusiastic and dedicated devotees from Hyde Park to Trafalgar Square, London.
Jagannath Ratha Yatra, 5000 year-old annual festival of chariots celebrated at Puri Jagannath Temple, was brought to western culture by His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami, founder of the ISKCON.
In San Fransisco, for the first time ever outside India, Jagannath Rath Yatra was celebrated in 1967 and this festival came to London in 1969. Since then, London Rath yatra has become more popular in Britain.
100 years old photographs of ratha yatra at puri