Free Veggie Feast / Arts & Vedic Culture / Yoga Festival

The 50th Annual Festival of India, also known as Ratha-Yatra, will be taking place on July 16th and 17th, 2022.

The very first Festival of India in Toronto was 50 years ago in 1972. The festival grew with a single 40-foot chariot in just one year cruising down from St. George and Bloor Street down University Avenue to Nathan Phillips Square.

The Festival of India has taken place in Toronto for over 50 years, yet its rich history actually stems from thousands of years of tradition and heritage. The festival begins with a vibrant parade down Yonge Street in which three giant floats are hand-pulled by thousands of attendees and spectators amidst melodious singing, chanting, drumming, and dancing.

The parade down Yonge Street echoes an annual procession that has occurred for centuries in the ancient city of Puri, India. There, three mammoth chariots, known as rathas are taken on a jubilant procession, called a yatra. Hence, the Festival is also known as Ratha-Yatra or “chariot procession”. In Puri, this age-old Ratha-Yatra procession continues to attract over a million people every year!

Seated on each float (chariot) are beautifully bedecked Deities of Jagannatha (another name for Krishna or God), Baladeva (Krishna’s brother), and Subhadra (Krishna’s sister). The procession itself symbolizes the pulling of the Lord into our hearts and this is done with great pomp and grandeur.

In the late 1960s, A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of the worldwide Hare Krishna Society (ISKCON), inaugurated the North American and international versions of this ancient Indian festival. With roots steeped in spiritual traditions, the festival is now celebrated in every major city around the world, including London, Paris, Sydney, and New York.

The festival is open to the public and free for everyone. Get more information by checking the links below to learn more about The Great Lord Jagannath Festival:

https://torontokrishna.com/

 

 

12th Annual YOGA MELTDOWN

YogaMeltdown festival will be taking place this year for two days on Saturday, July 16 and Sunday, July 17, 2022 at Toronto Center Island!!!

The picturesque, serene beauty of Centre Island with its lush parks and cool breezes from the lake will form the backdrop for a feast for the senses. YogaMeltdown will present attendees with a chance to unwind, rejuvenate and invigorate themselves. This is the very goal of YogaMeltdown – to provide an opportunity for spiritual seekers, yoga enthusiasts, vegans/vegetarians and anyone who is curious about yoga to come out and deepen their understanding of yoga and its physical, mental and spiritual benefits.

Toronto’s Free, Outdoor Spiritual Yoga Festival