Ratha Yatra

Rathe ca vāmanaṁ dṛṣṭvā punar janma na vidyate.
Simply by seeing the Lord on the chariot, one makes advancement for stopping the repetition of birth and death.
(Srila Prabhupada Lecture Festival after Ratha-yatra – London – 16 July 1972)

May the Supreme Personality of Godhead, Śrī Kṛṣṇa Caitanya, who danced in front of the car of Śrī Jagannātha, be all glorified! By seeing His dancing, not only was the whole universe held in wonder, but Lord Jagannātha Himself became very much astonished.
(CC Madhya-lila 13.1)

kīrtana dekhiyā jagannātha haraṣita
saṅkīrtana dekhe ratha kariyā sthagita
Lord Jagannātha was very much pleased by the saṅkīrtana, and He brought His car to a standstill just to see the performance.
(CC Madhya-lila 13.55)

So today is a very nice, auspicious day. On this day Lord Kṛṣṇa, when He was present on this earth, He attended a solar eclipse ceremony at Kurukṣetra, and Kṛṣṇa, along with His brother Balarāma, and Subhadra, sister, came to visit the Kurukṣetra field. That Kurukṣetra land is still present in India. If someday you’ll go to India you’ll find that Kurukṣetra land is there. So this Ratha-yātrā ceremony is performed in commemoration of Kṛṣṇa’s visiting Kurukṣetra with His brother and sister. So Lord Jagannātha . . . Lord Caitanya Mahāprabhu, He was in ecstasy. He was in the mood of loving spirit like Rādhārāṇī, so He was thinking, “Kṛṣṇa, please come back again to Vṛndāvana.” 
(710627 – Lecture 1 Festival Ratha-yatra – San Francisco)

Jagat means moving. And Jagat-nātha, nātha means the proprietor—master, proprietor. So Jagannātha means the proprietor or the master of all these movements, He is Jagannātha. And Balabhadra, Balarāma, bala means strength, and rāma means enjoyment. So Balarāma means who gives you spiritual strength for enjoying eternal blissful life. He is Balarāma. And Subhadrā, su means auspicious, and bhadra means well-being. Subhadrā, Jagannātha and Balarāma combined together are present before you to reclaim you all from your miserable condition of life. That is the purport of this Ratha-yātrā Festival. Ratha-yā . . . (break) . . . if anyone sees on the car Jagannātha, Subhadrā and Baladeva, then he does not take birth again in this material world. Ratheja vamanaṁ dṛṣṭa.
(700705 – Lecture Festival Ratha-yatra – San Francisco)

Information – When Srila Prabhupad was six years old, Gaur Mohan Dey (his father) arranged for a small Ratha and young Abhay (later known as Prabhupad) would perform Ratha yatra in his neighbour and distribution prasadam to all the children, who taking part in the festival.
Srila Prabhupada (who introduced the life of Krishna consciousness in the western world) had a great ambition to celebrate this festival gorgeously in every city of the world and he inspired and guided his disciples to make this annual festival well known in every part of the world. The first-ever Ratha-Yatra in the western world was organized in san Francisco on July 9, 1967. Thereafter, this festival became popular in western world and spread to many other countries.

Srila Prabhupada Lectures on Ratha Yatra

• • • 690727 – Lecture Festival Ratha-yatra – San Francisco
    • 700704 – Lecture Festival Cleansing of the Gundica Temple, Gundica Marjanam – San Francisco
    • 700705 – Lecture Festival Ratha-yatra – San Francisco
    • 700705 – Lecture Festival Ratha-yatra and Press Conference – San Francisco
    • 710627 – Lecture 1 Festival Ratha-yatra – San Francisco
    • 710627 – Lecture 2 Festival Ratha-yatra – San Francisco
    • 720716 – Lecture Festival before Ratha-yatra – London
    • 720716 – Lecture Festival after Ratha-yatra – London
    • 740707 – Lecture Festival Ratha-yatra – San Francisco
    • 750712 – Lecture Festival Ratha-yatra – Philadelphia
    • 760718 – Lecture Festival Ratha-yatra – New York

Prabhupāda: Therefore if you participate in these car festivals, as it is stated in the scriptures, rathe ca vāmanaṁ dṛṣṭvā punar janma na vidyate . . .If you kindly see these Jagannātha deities riding on these carts and in procession, and as Caitanya Mahāprabhu chanted the Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra in front of this cart, then according to our Vedic scripture, if you participate in this festival, in your next life you‘ll go to back, back to home, back to Godhead.
Devotees: Jaya! All glories to Prabhupāda!
Prabhupāda: So at least I’ll request you to come and see this car festival. There is no expenditure, but it is simply joyful. You haven’t got to pay anything. You simply come, chant Hare Kṛṣṇa mantra, dance with us, and when you are tired we shall give you nice prasādam. So on behalf of Kṛṣṇa conscious society I invite you, all boys, girls, ladies and gentlemen, to take part in this car festival, and I thank you very much.
(700705 – Lecture Festival Ratha-yatra and Press Conference – San Francisco)