Do you know that the first chariot procession of Lord of the Universe Mahaprabhu Jagannath took place in the United States of America in 1976 with the help of then 30 year old budding real estate magnate Donald Trump on the streets of New York?
Whose form is very peaceful, who sleeps in the bed of Sheshnag. From whose earth the lotus emerges. Who pervades everywhere like the sky. He destroys fear. Shri Hari Vishnu is the foundation of the whole world. Shri Hari Vishnu, the lord of Vaikunth Lok resides in the land of India for the welfare of the land. According to mythology, there is also a Vaikuntha on earth. Which we know by the name of Jagannathpuri. In the month of Ashadh the pilgrimage of Gavan Jagannath takes place. But did you know that the first chariot procession of Mahaprabhu Jagannath, the Lord of the Universe, took place in the United States in 1976 with the help of then 30-year-old budding real estate mogul Donald Trump on the streets of NY? ?
ISKCON plans to celebrate the first Rath Yatra in New York City
It was about 47 years ago. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) planned to hold the first Rath Yatra in New York City, but the challenges were immense. Getting a permit for a parade on Fifth Avenue was nothing short of a miracle. Finding a large empty space where cars could be built was not going to be easy. They knocked on the door of all possible people, but everywhere they only disappointed. This was the period when former US President Donald Trump emerged as a beacon of hope for Krishna devotees.
What happened in 1976?
Radharaman Das, Vice President and Spokesperson for ISKCON Kolkata, shared this story after Trump’s Twitter account was restored on Sunday, March 19. How the first Rath Yatra of the Lord of the Universe Mahaprabhu Jagannath began on the streets of New York in the United States with the help of then 30-year-old budding real estate mogul Donald Trump. In 1976, ISKCON was preparing to celebrate his tenth birthday. Devotees in New York were planning the first big Rath Yatra. Discover Hare Krishna noted in a Facebook post that we were allowed to use Fifth Avenue, which is really important. But we needed a vacant lot near the parade route to build the giant wooden cars. Whomever we asked, everywhere we got disappointment. They were concerned about insurance risk etc.
Donald Trump’s yes
The despondency of the devotees peaked, began to disintegrate as disappointment began pouring in from almost everywhere. Then a business owner who was also contacted said they were in the process of selling property in the Pennsylvania Rail Yard. A few days later someone told him that Donald Trump had bought the old rail yard. The devotees then went to his office carrying a large basket of mahaprasadam and a bundle of offerings. His secretary took it but warned the devotees, “He would never agree to such a thing. You may ask, but he will not tell. We had this in mind to have faith in Mahaprabhu and miracles would happen.” Days later, Trump’s secretary called the devotees saying, “I don’t know what happened, but he read your letter, took some of the remaining Mahaprasadam, and immediately said yes, why not?” The secretary then said, “Come on. and get your letter of permission signed.” Yes, Trump had signed documents allowing the use of the open rail yard to manufacture Rath Yatra vehicles.