For the second year in a row ISKCON Gurugram organized a rath yatra Marathon. A total of 13 Rath Yatras were organized across the city in a span of 11 days, 26th june to 6th july. 

The celebrations held in various housing societies, sectors and parts were an opportunity used by devotees to share Krishna Consciousness with thousands of people. As per the Temple President, of ISKCON Gurugram, Rambhadra Das, a total of 50,000 plates of prasadam was distributed and about 5,000 of Srila Prabhupad books. Also, the festival offered service engagements to thousands in the form offering Arti to Their Lordship, decorating venue, performing cultural events like dance

and dramas in Glorifcation of Jagganath.

Also, almost every day of the marathon there was an online class on glories and pastimes of Lord Jagganath by Rambhadra Das. This set the proper mood and consciousness of the participants to be able to engage in the festivities with not just body, but mind and spirit as well. 

The culture of Jagganath Rath Yatra, though incredibly popular in Odisha and parts of Bengal is relatively less popular in North India. Though, the festival is celebrated in isolation amongst the Odiya communities residing in Delhi-NCR. ISKCON Rath Yatra marathon worked towards introducing the culture and mercy of Jagganath to residents of Gurugram. Being inspired from the descriptions of even King of Puri cleaning the path of Rath Yatra by a golden broom, participants in Rath Yatra were seen offering the same seva forgetting their social and economic stata. Other services like pulling the Rath of Lord, or dancing, performing kirtan or drama before Them, as well as honoring Their prasadam were done in same spirit. 

One may wonder how could a temple organize an event of this scale and extended duration with all the everyday services and limited human resources. The answer to this lies in De-Centralization, something that ISKCON Gurugram Management led by Rambhadra Das, strongly believes in. There are already several extension centres and Bhakti Vriksha ( a small community of ISKCON followers living in proximity) in the city. The onus of organizing the festival was with each community leader, who further distributed it to the members of their community. A devotees at each venue was heading either of the services like : prasadam, deity care, security, permissions, coordination with temple, invitation, housekeeping, cultural programs, sound system etc.

The temple only had to provide the Rath Cart, and Deities with pujaris to take care of them. This way not only the festival got expanded but so many devotees got engagement that led to their deeper connection with the Lord.