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The Ratha Yatra Festival of India takes over the downtown core from Saturday, July 19 to Sunday, July 20, 2008. Celebrating its 36th year in Toronto, the festival is a time of recognition connected to the spiritual experiences rooted in ancient Vedic culture.

The unique aspect of this festival is the seamless integration of a 1,500-year tradition into our 21st century lifestyle.

The festivities kick off with a vibrant parade down Yonge Street, where three colourful floats will be hand-pulled by thousands of people from the corner of Yonge and Bloor to the lake at Queen's Quay. The celebration continues on Centre Island, where there will be a showcase of ancient Vedic spiritual culture, free vegetarian food and entertainment.

Ratha Yatra originated thousands of years ago in Puri, India, where it is still observed today by thousands of dedicated devotees. The festival consists of a parade that pulls three large chariots, housing the deities Jagannatha, as well as his brother Balarama, and younger sister Subhadra. The festival commemorates a journey of the siblings, which was first celebrated some 5,000 years ago and is now recognized in many major cities throughout the world. Here's a look at a few of the artists that are participating in this year's event.

Ed Hanley, a JUNO-nominated artist, began his tabla (north Indian classical percussion) training in Toronto with Ritesh Das, and has studied with master drummers Swapan Chaudhuri and Anindo Chatterjee. Hanley has performed across Canada, the U.S.A., Europe and India in a variety of world, jazz and classical settings. During this edition of the Ratha Yatra Festival of India, Hanley joins forces with Suba Sankaran, the DORA award-winning, JUNO-nominated vocalist, instructor and performer. Sankaran has composed, recorded and produced music for theatre, film, radio and dance, including collaborations with Oscar-nominee Deepa Mehta.

Sashar Zarif is an internationally renowned multi-disciplinary artist, educator, and researcher, who has received many awards including the Toronto International Dance Festival's Paula Citron Award in 2006. Zarif has a background in Azerbaijani dance and has also studied other dance forms including Uzbek, Tadjeek, Persian, Flamenco, Bharatanatyam, and many others. He is currently pursuing a PhD in Dance from Middlesex University in London, England and has taught at the Dance Department at York University. Zarif joins Ratha Yatra in collaboration with a special roster of Toronto-based artists for what is sure to be an unforgettable performance.

Joanna de Souza is the only Canadian-born artist to achieve a Master's Degree in Kathak dance through Prayag Sangit Samiti, Allahabad, India. Her study of Kathak, which began in 1978, continues under Pandit Chitresh Das. Since her return to Toronto she co-founded the M-DO and Toronto Tabla Ensemble Centre for World Music and Dance. de Souza was named one of Canada's top 10 dance performers for 1997 by Deirdre Kelly of the Globe and Mail and has been a musician and dancer with the internationally acclaimed Toronto Tabla Ensemble since 1993. She currently teaches and tours throughout Canada, the United States and India. As a dedicated member of Toronto's dance community, de Souza sits on the board of directors for the Dance Umbrella of Ontario, the CanAsian Dance Festival and the Toronto Arts Council dance committee.

This year's edition of the Ratha Yatra Festival of India will showcase the beauty and contribution of Vedic culture in Canada and throughout the world. To find out about scheduling and additional event information, please visit: www.iskcon.ca.

 

Jon Sarpong is a diversity consultant. He provides independent diversity training and consultation for various organizations. Contact Jon by e-mailing jsarpong@hotmail.com.