Mayapur (West Bengal), June 29 (Agency) President Ram Nath Kovind has congratulated the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) for celebrating the Rath Yatra festival in over 100 countries and said it exemplifies the age-old principle of Vasudaiva kutumbakam (the world is one family). In a message to ISKCON ahead of Friday’s Ratha Yatra festival, the president noted that the Vaishnavite order has planned to bring out over 180 chariot rallies (yantras) in various cities between July 1 and 9.
The return Ratha Yatra festival is scheduled to take place on July 9. “I would like to congratulate ISKCON for celebrating the Rath Yatra festival in ore than 100 countries. It exemplifies the age-old principle of Vasudeva kutumbakam by attracting participants regardless of their nationality, caste, gender or social status,” Kovind said. ISKCON is a Gaudiya-Vaishnavite order, a monotheistic tradition within the Vedic or Hindu culture. The congregation has 500 major centers, temples and rural communities, a wide variety of community projects, and millions of congregational members worldwide.