Every summer, a remarkable procession takes place in Puri, Odisha — and in cities across the world where ISKCON has carried its tradition. Enormous chariots carrying Lord Jagannath, his brother Balarama, and his sister Subhadra are pulled through the streets by thousands of devotees chanting, dancing, and throwing flowers. The same Ashadha month that carries Rath Yatra’s energy is also the month of Guru Purnima — many Bay Area families celebrate both with home kirtan in the same sacred season. Rath Yatra — the Chariot Festival — is one of the most ancient public expressions of devotion in the Vaishnava tradition, and it has been observed in Puri for at least fifteen centuries. If you have grown up with this festival’s name in your home, or if you have watched the San Francisco or New York Rath Yatra on television, you already know something of its power. What you may not know is how to bring that same devotional current into your own home — and that ISKCON Silicon Valley can help you do exactly that.

Who Is Lord Jagannath?

Jagannath — Jagat-nātha, “Lord of the Universe” — is one of the most beloved and distinctive forms of the Supreme Lord in all of Hindu tradition. Worshipped in Puri, Odisha, the Jagannath form has enormous symbolic depth: the large round eyes that see everything in the universe, the incomplete arms that represent the Lord’s ready accessibility to all devotees regardless of their qualification, the dark complexion that echoes Krishna’s own description in the Brahma-samhita and the Bhagavatam.

The Skanda Purana, the Brahma Purana, and the Kapila Samhita all describe Jagannath as identical with Krishna/Vishnu. The Kapila Samhita explicitly states that Puri (also called Nilachala or Shri Kshetra) is among the most sacred pilgrimage sites precisely because the Lord himself resides there in his Jagannath form. Adi Shankaracharya, who established one of his four monastic centers (Govardhana Math) in Puri, acknowledged Jagannath’s supreme position. Sri Ramanujacharya visited Puri and accepted Jagannath’s prasadam. Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu spent eighteen years in Puri, living near the Jagannath temple and personally organizing the Rath Yatra procession — the very tradition that Srila Prabhupada carried to the West in 1967.

Let me offer my respectful obeisances unto the all-pervading Supreme Personality of Godhead, who always resides in Sri Kshetra [Puri, Odisha] and accepts worship in the form of Lord Jagannatha.

— Brahma Purana (on Rath Yatra)

The Chariot Festival: A Story of Love Coming Out to Meet the Devotees

The Rath Yatra has a specific devotional meaning in Gaudiya Vaishnavism: it represents the moment when Krishna — who normally resides in the inner sanctum of his temple, accessible only to initiated priests — comes out onto the public street where anyone, regardless of birth or caste, can see him, touch his chariot ropes, and pull him through the city. Srila Prabhupada described this as the most democratic of all religious festivals: the Lord himself comes down to the level of the common person, offering himself to all without distinction.

For Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, the Rath Yatra was inseparable from kirtan. He organized massive sankirtana parties — hundreds of devotees chanting and dancing — to accompany Jagannath’s procession. The chanting of Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare / Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare was the sound that surrounded the chariot, and Chaitanya danced in ecstasy before Jagannath’s cart. That tradition continues in every ISKCON Rath Yatra today.

The Merit of Rath Yatra: What the Scriptures Say

The Brahma Purana, Skanda Purana, and Kapila Samhita each describe the extraordinary spiritual merit of participating in Rath Yatra. The Brahma Purana states that one who sees Jagannath on the chariot, hears his name, or pulls the chariot rope accumulates merit beyond what is gained by austerity, charity, or pilgrimage. The Skanda Purana uses the image of a boat: Jagannath on his chariot is a boat that carries all who approach across the ocean of repeated birth and death.

Simply by seeing Lord Jagannātha on his chariot, one attains the fruit of visiting all pilgrimage sites.

— Skanda Purana

Bring a Rath Yatra Kirtan Into Your Own Home

Not everyone can travel to Puri, San Francisco, or New York for the public Rath Yatra procession. But the devotional current of Rath Yatra — the joyful celebration of Jagannath coming out to meet the people — can be brought into your own home. ISKCON Silicon Valley’s home kirtan program does exactly that: trained devotees come to your home for a two-hour evening of live kirtan, a short katha on Jagannath’s significance and the Rath Yatra tradition, and an arati with devotional dance. The program is completely free, ISKCON-sponsored, and open to families of all backgrounds and traditions. To book a home kirtan Bay Area session, use the Calendly widget above or send a WhatsApp message.

The kirtan style is the same energetic, participatory Braj Vrindavan tradition that Chaitanya Mahaprabhu used during the original Puri processions — full-throated chanting of Hare Krishna, Jai Jagannath, and related Vaishnava bhajans, with harmonium, mridanga, and kartals. Children, elders, and guests who have never participated in kirtan before find themselves drawn in naturally. Real footage of past home kirtan evenings across the Bay Area and Silicon Valley is available at @bhajanclubbing.bayarea on Instagram.

Book a Rath Yatra home kirtan session →

Check Availability & Book Your Evening

ISKCON Silicon Valley: Continuing Chaitanya’s Rath Yatra Tradition

ISKCON — the International Society for Krishna Consciousness — was founded by Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada in 1966. Prabhupada himself organized the first Western Rath Yatra in San Francisco in 1967, just months after arriving in the United States. ISKCON Silicon Valley in Mountain View has served the Bay Area since 1968, and the temple observes Rath Yatra annually. The tradition of home kirtan that ISKCON offers is a direct extension of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s own method: bringing the Lord’s name to every home, every street, every gathering of people willing to receive it.

Want to host this kind of evening at your home? Choose a date below — our kirtan team will travel to you.

Host a Rath Yatra Kirtan at Your Home This Season

Rath Yatra dates shift each year according to the Vaishnava lunar calendar, typically falling in June or July. Our devotees are available to bring the festival spirit to your home around this time. Check availability and book below.

Book a Rath Yatra home kirtan session →

To attend the public Rath Yatra at the temple, check our programs page: iskconsv.com/programs. Questions? Contact us here.

Gaurav Verma

Kirtan Volunteer · ISKCON Silicon Valley

Gaurav has been leading bhajans and kirtans in Bay Area homes for more than 10 years. He teaches harmonium for kirtan on YouTube, shares bhajan albums on SoundCloud, and coordinates the Vrindavan Mellows home kirtan service across the San Francisco Bay Area.