TENS of thousands of Hare Krishna devotees brought an explosion of colour to London’s streets yesterday as they celebrated the ancient Festival of Chariots.
Pilgrims, festival-goers and faith leaders gathered to pull three 40ft-high brightly painted shrines carrying statues of three Hindu deities, Lord Lagannatha, Lady Subhadra and Lors Balarama.
The giant chariots were taken from Hyde Park Corner to Trafalgar Square accompanied by a procession of dancers, musicians and singers.
Following the procession, festival-goers enjoyed cultural displays and workshops and sharing free vegetarian Indian food.
The festival, known as Ratha-yatra, dates back more than 5,000 years and has been observed in London since 1969.
