Thousands of devotees gathered in the City of Parramatta for the second annual Sri Jagannath Ratha Yatra, bringing a day of devotion, music, colour and community participation to the city.
The Parramatta Chariot Festival brought families and devotees together for the spiritual and cultural celebration, with the event organised with the involvement of the ISKCON Temple team, volunteers and members of the community.
The Ratha Yatra is centred on Lord Jagannath and is marked by a public chariot procession. For those attending the Parramatta celebration, the occasion provided an opportunity to come together in a shared religious and cultural setting.
Councillor Sreeni Pillamarri attended the event and described seeing thousands of devotees gather in Parramatta as a positive experience for the city.
Pillamarri said the day brought devotion, colour, music and a strong sense of community to Parramatta as families and devotees took part in the celebration.
As a City of Parramatta councillor, Pillamarri also highlighted the city’s role as a place where people from different cultures and faiths can come together, celebrate their traditions and share them with the wider community.
He thanked the ISKCON Temple team, organisers, volunteers and devotees for their work in bringing the festival to Parramatta and acknowledged the effort involved in staging the event.
The councillor said celebrations such as the Sri Jagannath Ratha Yatra provide an opportunity to reflect the diversity of Parramatta and the different cultural and religious traditions represented in the community.
The festival also offered a space for families and devotees to participate in an occasion that combines religious observance with cultural expression and community gathering.
Pillamarri extended his wishes for peace, happiness, good health and prosperity to those who attended the celebration, concluding his message with the traditional greeting, “Jai Jagannath”.
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