Gunakara Ramadasa of ISKCON Sri Krishna Balaram Mandir at a press conference in Mangaluru on Wednesday.
| Photo Credit: H.S. MANJUNATH
ISKCON Mangaluru branch in Kodialbail will organise the 20th annual Sri Krishna Balarama Rathotsava (chariot festival) on Saturday from P.V.S Kalakunj Temple.
Gunakara Rama Dasa, ISKCON Mangaluru president, told reporters here on Wednesday that the rathotsava recreates Krishna-Balarama riding a chariot through Vrindavan streets in Mathura to grant audience to devotees during the Dwapara Yuga.
Mangaluru City South MLA D. Vedavyasa Kamath, Alva’s Education Foundation Chairman M. Mohan Alva, Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat CEO K. Anandh, MCC Councillor Jayashree Kudva, A.K. Bansal group director Abhinav Bansal and others would attend the event.
The rathotsava will start after a special puja at 4.30 p.m. and the chariot carrying deities of Krishna-Balarama would move through Sharada Vidyalaya Road, T.V. Raman Pai Hall, Mahamaya Temple, Car Street Temple Square, Kulur Ferry Road, Mannagudda and M.G. Road before ending at the Iskcon Temple premises, Mr. Dasa said.
Devotees will sing bhajans, chant Hare Krishna Hare Rama and dance to the tunes of devotional music all along the rathotsava. Public may offer puja, aarathi, flowers and fruits to the deities and they also may decorate the roads with Rangoli etc.