Rathayatra Festival

The English word Juggernaut derives from the Hindu deity Jagganath, who spends the annual Rathayatra festival bestride a colossal chariot, which this July will be careening through central London, from Hyde Park to Trafalgar Square. Organised by the ISKCON-London Radha Krishna Temple, "one of the smaller but historic Hindu centres in London", Rathayatra is a festival of chariots, each one bedecked in colourful fabrics and surrounded by music, drums, and dancing. The hosts are expecting to distribute 20,000 free plates of vegetarian INdian food to passers-by, so bring an emtpy stomach and an open soul.