Prabhupada - The Rath-Yatra Festival Poem by Rajaram Ramachandran

The Rath-yatra annual festival
Of the Lord Jagannath Temple
For Krishna, Balarama, Subhdra
Is famous at Puri, Orissa, India.

Four hundred years before
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was there
Chanting, dancing and leading
The chariots as they were moving.

Wherever Krishna temples exists,
Particularly in the principal cities,
This grand festival is celebrated,
Pulling chariots on main roads.

Abhay wanted his own chariot,
And pleased with his request,
His father made out a small cart,
That was like a good chariot.

His playmates helped him
To pull the cart every time
It was put on the roads
With their tender hands.

Pleased with their playful fun,
The mothers of these children
Prepared snacks and sweets
For distribution in the streets.

Thus he was held a leader
Among his circles, as a junior,
And Bhavatarini, his sister,
Gave him more help and cheer.

For eight days the festival ran,
And he chalked out every plan,
Engaging each and every one
In the dance and bhajan.

All his family members
And other friendly neighbors
Joined this grand assembly
And celebrated it happily.

It was this childhood play,
That helped him one day,
When he set his foot first
On the American streets.

In his life time, to his credit,
Several Rath-yatras stood,
Which are being run still
In Krishna’s every big temple.