Ratha Yatra in America (1967–Present):

Ratha Yatra in America (1967–Present)

By Lokanath Mishra

Origins in the U.S. (1967–1970s).
• 1967 – San Francisco, CA. The Western world’s first Ratha Yatra rolled through Golden Gate Park after Srila A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada asked his early disciples to organize the festival; the San Francisco temple was soon nicknamed “New Jagannatha Puri.” The event became annual and iconic for Bay Area devotees.   
• 1974 – Chicago, IL. Chicago held its first Ratha Yatra “over four decades ago” and now stages large downtown processions. 
• 1976 – New York City, NY. NYC’s first Fifth Avenue parade launched in ISKCON’s 10th-anniversary year; today it remains one of the movement’s biggest U.S. events, with multi-day celebrations around Tompkins Square Park and Times Square.  
• 1977 – Los Angeles, CA. The Santa Monica–Venice Festival of the Chariots began in 1977 and continues annually on the beach route.  

Expansion and visibility (1980s–2000s).
By the 1980s and 1990s, Ratha Yatra had spread to dozens of U.S. cities under ISKCON’s banner (“Festival of the Chariots”) and through local Hindu temples. Parades typically end with a cultural fair—music, dance, exhibits, and a free vegetarian feast—bringing Jagannath devotion into public squares and parks.  

Temple-led festivals & regional hubs.
Beyond ISKCON, community temples have built their own traditions—often with region-specific cultural programming—so the festival now bridges immigrant temple life and public-facing outreach. Good examples include Dallas’s city-center “Festival of Joy” collaboration and recurring midwestern processions.  

Today (2010s–2025).
• San Francisco continues its storied parade through Golden Gate Park (59th annual slated for Aug. 24, 2025). 
• New York City hosts a multi-day series (kirtan in Tompkins Square and Times Square, Fifth Avenue parade, temple kirtan festival). In 2025 the main parade ran June 14. 
• Chicago, Washington DC, Dallas, and many other metros hold annual parades and children’s Ratha Yatras through the summer.   

Spotlight: Jagannath Temple on Fuqua Street, Houston

Houston’s Odia community has built one of America’s most active Jagannath hubs: the Shri Jagannath Temple (Orissa Culture Center) at 3101 Fuqua St, Houston, TX 77047. It hosts an all-day Houston Rath Yatra—with chariot pulling, cultural programs, and community service—now in its late-teen editions (the 18th Annual fell on June 28, 2025).  

What Ratha Yatra has meant for the U.S.
• Public visibility of bhakti. Colorful, musical parades and make complete devotion towards Prabhu Shri Jagannath -part of America’s civic festival life. 
• Bridge between communities. ISKCON’s city parades and temple-run festivals draw Indian diaspora families and curious non-Hindu neighbors, normalizing Hindu celebrations in public space. 
• Continuity & adaptation. From a single 1967 San Francisco parade to multi-city calendars today, the festival preserved core rituals while adapting routes, permits, and programming to local contexts. 

The Impact of the Hare Krishna Movement and the Radha Madhav Dham in America: