Fundraiser by OKC Bhakti Yoga: Festival of Joy (Sep 7th)

OKC Bhakti Yoga is excited to announce the 2nd Annual Festival of Joy! (Ratha Yatra)

September 7th 2025 at the Plaza in Scissortail Park - Parade from 3PM -5PM followed by Cultural Exhibition & Sunday Yoga Meltdown.

After our first Festival of Joy/RathaYatra in 2019, we want to celebrate again Lord Jaganatha, Baladeva and Subhadra Mayi!! And to make that happen, we are appealing for your kind contribution. Please donate what you can towards this campaign and share this fundraiser with your friends and family. Every donation counts and will certainly be noticed by Lord Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra Mayi.

What is the Ratha Yatra Festival?

Also known as the Festival of the Joy, the RathaYatra Festival originated in the ancient city of Puri, India. During the festival, three mammoths Ratha’s (chariots), upon which the deities of Jagannatha, Baladeva, and Subhadra are seated, are pulled by rope on a jubilant procession called a yatra, attracting over a million people annually for the past few thousand years. The parade itself symbolizes the pulling of the Lord into our hearts, and it is done with great devotion to the accompaniment of chanting and dancing, called kirtan.

We are making a humble attempt, under the divine guidance of His Divine Grace A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, to celebrate this sacred festival in Oklahoma City. As part of this offering, we are constructing a Ratha (chariot) to carry the deities of Lord Jagannatha, Lord Baladeva, and Subhadra Mayi. With heartfelt devotion, the chariot will be pulled through the streets accompanied by joyous Kirtan, all for Their divine pleasure.

Who is OKC Bhakti Yoga?

An emerging cultural community with roots in ancient India. We are the local branch of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (popularly known as the Hare Krishna Movement). As a non-profit organization (EIN-84-2170310), we are part of a worldwide confederation of 400+ communities belonging to the Gaudiya-Vaishnava lineage, a monotheistic tradition within Hindu culture.

What can we look forward to in the 2nd Annual Festival of Joy OKC?

The main components of the festival will consist of:

• A colorful procession with a giant chariot and the deities of Sri Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra Mayi in the heart of Oklahoma City downtown.

• A festival site in the Scissortail Park where the parade will conclude and further festivities will begin.

• Sacred vegetarian food offered to the Sri Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra Mayi (prasadam)

• Entertainment, cultural performances, devotional chants and dancing, extravagant worship of the deities of Sri Jagannatha, Baladeva and Subhadra Mayi.

• Boutiques, spiritual literature about yoga and meditation, henna and face-painting, activities for children.

• On Sunday come and experience Yoga Meltdown.

• The opportunity to participate in a rich cultural tradition, and much, much more!

How can you help?

There are considerable expenses involved in organizing this massive festival and making it a success, as well as many volunteer service opportunities. If you contribute according to your means, certainly Lord Jagannatha will bless you and your family. Please donate generously!

An overview of the various expenditures is as follows:

• Building 20-foot chariot.

• Preparing food (prasadam) for 2,000 people

• Renting festival venue

• Obtaining event insurance

• Electrical

• Fees for permits, police escorts, etc.

• Renting big tents, chairs, stage, tables, etc.

• Renting music equipment

• Decorations for the chariot and festival grounds

• Renting toilets, washing stations, garbage collection service

• Ordering boutique items and books like Bhagavad-gita, Srimad-bhagavatam, etc.

• Printing banners, posters, pamphlets, displays, etc.

• Rentals such as transportation vehicles, Food Equipment, etc.

• Advertising/promotion

• Miscellaneous supplies and tools

Any additional funds left over after the Ratha Yatra Festival will go into future OKC Bhakti Yoga events and projects.

Before closing, we would also like to invite you to attend our weekly Sunday Love Feast program. This takes place every Sunday from 1.00-2.30pm at 3630 NW 206th St, Edmond OK. The program includes: chanting, dancing, a free feast, and discussions on spiritual philosophy. Please join us!

We sincerely appreciate any contribution to this event.

Your Aspiring Servants,

OKC Bhakti Yoga

Website:

https://festivalofjoyokc.org

https://okcrupanugas.org