Starting at 12:00pm, the 3
Large Carts will proceed from SE corner of Central Park 59th
Street and Fifth Avenue, across the street from the Plaza Hotel
and adjacent to Grand Army Plaza.
All devotees are
requested to be present at the start of the Parade by 10:00am to
greet
Lord Jagannath, Lady Subhadra & Lord Baladeva, and Srila
Prabhupada as they arrive
from the Temple, with ecstatic Hare Krishna kirtan and dancing.
The Parade will continue down
Fifth Ave. for about 50 blocks culminating at the Festival of
India in Washington Square Park. Approximate arrival time is
2:00pm. If you cannot walk the entire route of the parade, it is
suggested that you meet the parade at 2pm, when it would pass
14th street & 5th Avenue, and help pull the chariots the final
few blocks to the festival site.
Devotees are
requested to bring
their own instruments (mrdangas, djimbe drums, kartals, flutes,
etc.) to assist in the various kirtan parties throughout the
parade.
The temple will not supply instruments to
parade participants.
Only authorized persons will be
allowed to ascend the carts to perform pujari service to Lord
Jagannath, Subhadra & Baladeva. The pujaris have been assigned
their duties already and will be wearing special passes.
Please be respectful of the
Parade Marshals and Police Officers assigned to march with the
parade. They are doing their duty to keep all the devotees safe
and sound. If they give you any instructions, please comply with
them.
The Festival of India
stage program will commence once the parade reaches Washington Square Park.
If you arrive early to the
Festival Site, please try to assist the devotees there in
organizing and setting up the festival area.
Once the carts arrive, there
will be many opportunities to render devotional service to Lord
Jagannath. Although the festival is a time for the devotees to
associate with each other, it is also a great time to serve each
other, by helping in the free feast booth, or book distribution
tables, and cleaning up at the end of the festival.