2024 Festival of Joy
Date & Time
Sunday, September 22, 2024
1:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Cost
Location
block of N. Center to 100 block of W. Jefferson to 200 block of N. Main, Bloomington, IL, 61701
Phone
Bring in the autumn with a colorful celebration of joy! Enjoy a recreation of the Ratha Yatra Chariot Festival parade, as well as nonstop classical music and dance performances. Traditional eats, cultural exhibits, games, and activities for the entire family will be available throughout the afternoon. Remember to get a henna tattoo, join in the yoga, meditation, and enjoy the complimentary vegetarian dinner feast.
Sunday, September 22nd
1 PM – 6.00 PM
Museum Square, Downtown Bloomington
Free admission.
1 PM – 6.00 PM
Museum Square, Downtown Bloomington
Free admission.
Highlights:
Participants will pull the colorful chariot by hand, accompanied by the singing of ancient Sanskrit mantras and the sounds of traditional musical instruments. The main stage will feature non-stop classical music and dance performances, and there will be a variety of cultural and educational exhibits including traditional crafts, yoga and meditation instruction, face painting, mehendi (henna tattoos), and traditional dress-up, traditional street food for sale, and a free vegetarian feast. A feast for all the senses and the soul!
Participants will pull the colorful chariot by hand, accompanied by the singing of ancient Sanskrit mantras and the sounds of traditional musical instruments. The main stage will feature non-stop classical music and dance performances, and there will be a variety of cultural and educational exhibits including traditional crafts, yoga and meditation instruction, face painting, mehendi (henna tattoos), and traditional dress-up, traditional street food for sale, and a free vegetarian feast. A feast for all the senses and the soul!
History:
The Ratha Yatra parade, also celebrated as the Festival of Chariots, is rooted in ancient India’s bhakti or devotional tradition. It has been observed annually for more than 3,000 years in the holy city of Jagannatha Puri in Orissa, India. The giant chariot carries Lord Jagannath – in Sanskrit, jagat means the universe, and nath means Lord. Pulling the chariot is considered an honor, and an opportunity to achieve eternal benefit. Upon seeing this festival, the English colonial governors of India coined the present-day word juggernaut, aptly meaning a massive, inexorable force.
The Ratha Yatra parade, also celebrated as the Festival of Chariots, is rooted in ancient India’s bhakti or devotional tradition. It has been observed annually for more than 3,000 years in the holy city of Jagannatha Puri in Orissa, India. The giant chariot carries Lord Jagannath – in Sanskrit, jagat means the universe, and nath means Lord. Pulling the chariot is considered an honor, and an opportunity to achieve eternal benefit. Upon seeing this festival, the English colonial governors of India coined the present-day word juggernaut, aptly meaning a massive, inexorable force.
It is celebrated in major city centers around the world, including New York City’s Fifth Avenue and London’s Piccadilly Circus.