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ISKCON Central NJ marks 20 years of Rath Yatra celebration
The event drew over 1,400 devotees.
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Staff Reporter - Wed, 22, Jul 2026
- 18:35 EDT
- 45
Glimpses of the Ratha Yatra / ISKCON Plainfield
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) of Central New Jersey (ICNJ) on July 16 marked 20 years of observing the Jagannath Rath Yatra in Plainfield.
More than 1,400 devotees participated in this year's celebration. Organizers said the temple has observed the festival on its designated astrological date for the past two decades, including during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
This year's event was held despite falling on a weekday and amid regional air quality advisories caused by Canadian wildfires.
The celebration began with the Tahia Darshan, during which Lord Jagannath was adorned with a traditional floral crown, followed by the Pahandi procession that ceremonially carried the deities to the chariot. Devotees then joined in pulling the wooden chariot while chanting devotional hymns and participating in kirtan.
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A Bhoga Mandapa featured hundreds of food offerings prepared by members of the community. The program concluded with arati, recitations of the Jagannathastakam and Gita Govinda, and a community prasadam meal.
Glimpses of the Ratha Yatra / ISKCON PlainfieldThe Rath Yatra followed ICNJ's Snan Yatra celebration on June 29, which drew nearly 500 devotees for the ceremonial bathing of the deities. The observance also included the traditional Hati Vesha, in which the deities were dressed in elephant attire, and an offering of Chappan Bhog, a collection of 56 food preparations.
In the weeks leading up to the festival, the temple organized an online Lord Jagannatha Sravana discourse series on Sunday mornings to help prepare devotees for the annual observances.
According to organizers, the Rath Yatra remains one of ICNJ's largest annual religious events, bringing together devotees from across the region to celebrate the centuries-old tradition.
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