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Festival of Chariots returns to San Antonio's Woodlawn Lake Park on Saturday

This weekend marks the fourth annual celebration of the festival — better known across the globe as Ratha Yatra.

By Dean Zach on Thu, Jul 13, 2023 at 8:00 am

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Courtesy Photo / Bliss House Meditation Center

The celebration of Indian culture will kick off at 4 p.m., and the cart procession will begin at 6 p.m.

One of the oldest street festivals in the world returns to San Antonio for the fourth consecutive year as local group Bliss House Meditation Center brings the Festival of Chariots — better known across the globe as Ratha Yatra — back to Woodlawn Lake Park.

Translated as "chariot journey" in Sanskrit, the Ratha Yatra began in the eastern Indian city of Puri as a midsummer tribute to three local deities, who are paraded through the streets on specially constructed wooden chariots before returning to their temple home. These days, devotees in more than 100 major cities celebrate the occasion with street festivals of their own.

For San Antonio's iteration, Bliss House has organized a bright-red cart procession complete with local vendors, traditional Bharatanatyam dance, henna, yoga, cultural presentations and live kirtan, or meditative music featuring spiritual chants.

The celebration of Indian culture will kick off at 4 p.m., and the cart procession will begin at 6 p.m., allowing San Antonians to experience the festival 9,000 miles and 3,000 years from where it all began.

Free, 4-9 p.m. Saturday, July 15, Woodlawn Lake Park, 1103 Cincinnati Ave., (210) 995-7377, satxbliss.com/events.

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