Dublin Ratha Yatra festival will take place today

DUBLIN: The capital city is all set to witness the 2022 Dublin Ratha Yatra, the festival of chariots.

Today (Saturday) at 11am, devotees will gather at the historic Garden of Remembrance in Dublin city for the festival. The Ratha Yatra will begin at 2 pm and conclude at Merrion Square at 5 pm with kirtan, music and dance. There will also be delicious (free) feast.

Thousands of people will travel from all over Ireland to participate in the chariot festival led by ISKCON. The Lord Mayor of Dublin and other cultural leaders will also participate in the Ratha Yatra. The festival, which features a hand-pulled wooden chariot accompanied by song, dance, drums and cymbals, is resuming for the first time post-Covid.

Lord Jagannath’s Ratha Yatra is a ritual in which the king sweeps the chariots before they are pulled by scores of devotees. The popular international annual parade festival of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness has a strong social message that everyone is equal before the Lord.

The City Mayor, Alison Gilliland, participates in the ritual by sweeping the Chariot’s path with a broom. Anyone can participate in this family-friendly event for the mercy and opportunity to pull the chariot and sweep the Lord’s chariot.

Garden of Remembrance Eircode (D01 A0F8)

The Festival schedule is as follows:

11.00 – Gathering at take-off point at Parnell Square

11:00 – Opening ceremony with Lord Mayor and religious/cultural representatives

12:00 – Parade leaves from Parnell Square

14:00 – Festival begins at Merrion Square(East) bandstand

17:00 – approximate ending time