“We are asking the Lord to be of service." Hare Krishnas celebrate Festival of Chariots in Winnipeg

When I got the email, I was surprised: There are Hare Krishnas in Winnipeg?

The email came from Komal Sharma, who was organizing the annual event Rath Yatra, or Festival of the Chariots, on behalf of the local chapter of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). 

This year’s procession would be the first to take place on a city street, she said, and would involve the largest chariot ever to be pulled by devotees. On the chariot would be images of Lord Jagannath, a form of Lord Krishna, and his siblings Lord Baladeva and Lady Subhadra. The chariot would be adorned with colourful drapes, flowers and ornaments. 

Right away, I told Sharma I had no idea Hare Krishnas were still around. So I was delighted to spend a morning with hundreds of devotees, learning more about the movement today and enjoying the festival. 

Read about Hare Krishnas today in my Free Press column. Also read more about the Festival itself from a news story I wrote for the paper.