photo by: Joselyn King

The chariot carrying the deity of Jagannath is made ready during the “Festival of Chariots” or “Ratha-yatra” as part of the Hare Krishna Festival of India Celebration at Wheeling’s Heritage Port on Saturday.

WHEELING – Heritage Port was awash in color, peace and unity on Saturday. The Hare Krishna Festival of India welcomed the community and those of all faiths to come share in their religious customs and learn their history.

Known as the “Festival of Chariots” or “Ratha-yatra,” the event has its roots in ancient India and is celebrated in major cities worldwide -from Paris to London and from Durban to New York.

It commemorates the story of when Subhadra, the sister of Lord Jagannath, expressed her desire to visit Puri. In order to fulfil Subhadra’s wish, Lord Jagannath, Subhadra and their brother Lord Balabhadra left for Puri in a chariot.

The event was re-enacted during a parade that is part of the festival.

Yoga, meditation were part of the offerings, and those attending also indulged in authentic Indian food.

The theme of this year’s festival was “compassion, tolerance, and concern for justice in all faiths,” which organizers contend is a positive step to a socially cohesive United States of America.

“We like to see people of all walks of life come together to experience and enjoy this culture,” said Bishajit Das, a member of the board of directors for the ISKON Temple at New Vrindaban. “It’s about peace, love and unity.

“Sometimes we tend to be self-centered. This festival brings us all together and all faiths.”

Ram Goppal of West Wheeling sat at the storytelling stage with friends, hearing presentations about Indian history and culture.

“It’s an ancient Indian festival,” he said of Ratha-yathra. “In India, it’s a big cultural happening.

“The congregation chants the holy name, and the more who do the more fun it is.”

The idea is to bring in as many different people and cultures to chant, Goppal explained.

Nila Dasa explained the virtues of yoga to those passing his station. He termed it a spiritual connection of the mind and spirit.

“It is the Hare Krishna way of calling God,” Dasa explained. “It’s the cell phone of Krishna.

“Everybody wants to be happy. One of the qualities of the soul is our ability to find happiness.”

West Virginia Sen. Owens Brown and Delegate Shawn Fluharty, both D-Ohio, were among those participating in festivities.

Fluharty welcomed the festival crowd to Wheeling, many of whom he said he believed were from out of state and outside America.

“We are known as ‘The Friendly City,'” he said of Wheeling. “What does that mean? We are all encompassing – welcoming diversity, welcoming mulitiple cultures, welcoming everyone to be here and enjoy camaraderie, friendship and festivities here in the city.”