FESTIVAL OF BLISS
2024
CHARIOT PARADE
Sri Sri Krishna Balarama & Sri Sri Gaura Nitai
FIRST TIME IN HOUSTON
SATURDAY, November 9, 2024
10:30 AM to 4 PM
Chariot Parade (Holy Name Yatra) starts and ends at American Legion Park, 3621 Golf Dr, Houston, TX 77018
Just a few blocks away from the ISKCON of Houston Temple.
No parking at the Park. All parking is at the temple.
Join us for a fun-filled day of bright colors, COLOR FEST (at 3 pm), beautiful flowers and a free vegetarian feast, along with riveting music (mantra meditation), dance and interactive chariot pulling and cultural activities. Fun activities for children (Trackless Train Rides, Balloon Animals, Photo Booth, Face Painting and more). Free feast for everyone, Govinda’s will be serving their delicious items.
Festival time: 10:30 AM to 4 PM
Free Admission
Chariot procession (Rath Yatra): 12 PM to 2 PM
Parking : At ISKCON of Houston Parking Lot (No parking at the American Legion Park or at Govinda’s Vegetarian Cuisine Parking lot)
- Trackless Train for Kids: 11 AM – 1 PM
- Live Music & Stage Performances: Starting at 10:30 AM
- 30 ft Chariot Parade: 12 PM – A Spectacular Sight! (See the Route tab for details)
- Color Fest (Holi) Music & Dance: 3 PM – With dry colors and a special blowing facility, your outfit stays clean while you have FUN!
- Free Feast starts at 1:30 PM
Festival Highlights:
- Festival of India
- Chariot Pulling
- Cultural Program
- Bhakti Yoga and Meditation
- Free Veg Feast
- Live Music (Kirtan) and Dance
- Face Painting
Lots of Fun!
Holy Name Yatra (Chariot Parade) Route:
All Parking: Iskcon of Houston – 1320 West 34th Street
(No parking at Govinda’s)
Parade start point is American Legion Park, 3621 Golf Dr, Houston, TX 77018 (just two blocks from Temple’s parking lot – across from the rail road tracks)
THERE IS NO PARKING AT AMERICAN LEGION PARK
Start from American Legion Park
1. Left on Golf Dr
2. Right on Wakefield Dr
3. Left on Alba Road
4. Left on 41st Rd
5. Right on Althea
6. Left on Golf Dr
End at American Legion Park
ISKCON of Houston – Festival of Bliss event (Saturday, November 9) is planned to showcase cultural expressions of the joyful and beautiful practice of bhakti-yoga (devotional service), via a chariot parade, yoga classes, kirtan (musical meditations), a color festival, free feast of sanctified vegetarian food, and more.
We had planned for the Deities of Jagannath, Baladeva and Subhadra to be the center of the chariot parade. However, there is a disagreement with some of our local friends and those in Jagannath Puri Orissa, the original temple of Lord Jagannath, about whether it is appropriate to have Jagannath in a Rath Yatra parade this time of year. We will have a Sankirtan yatra with Sri Sri Krishna Balarama and Sri Sri Gaura Nitai on the chariot.
For ISKCON, the opportunity to have Festival attendees have darshan of Lord Jagannath is a central feature of the event. For others, however, compliance to ancient tradition and calendars is the priority.
There is a meeting planned in India next month between ISKCON and Puri officials to discuss these points in detail, to seek mutual agreement whereby the traditional calendar as well as the Lord’s desire for people all over the world will be able to have His darshan and participate in His festivals can be honored.
Our celebration is called the Festival of Bliss because it highlights the diversity of our culture, the warmth of unity and harmony in our tradition, and the inclusiveness of our Krishna bhakti theology. Therefore, although we are deeply attached to having Sri Sri Jagannath, Baladeva, Subhadra be the center of our event, in the mood of cooperation and unity, we have decided that for this year, ISKCON of Houston is voluntarily adapting its Festival of Bliss plans by featuring the Deities of Sri Sri Krishna Balarama and Sri Sri Gaura Nitai – the Deities of Lord Caitanya and Lord Nityananda, on our Rath (chariot), as They are the proponents and emblem of bringing kirtan and bhakti festivals into the public sphere for the benefit of all across the globe thru our Founder Acharya His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada who famously brought the Jagannath Rath Yatra along with chanting of the Hare Krishna mantra to the western world to make it available for all, regardless of class, caste, religion, ethnicity, or culture.
For those wishing to have the Darshan of Lord Jagannath, Baladeva & Subhadra, the Deities will be open to the public daily from 4:30 AM to 9 PM at the ISKCON of Houston temple, at 1320 W 34th St, Houston, TX 77018 standing and smiling as They always do, along with Sri Sri Radha Nilamadhava, Sri Sri Radha Giridhari, Sri Sri Giriraj Govardhan, Sri Sri Nitai Caitanya Chandra and Sri Sri Gaura Chandra Deities.