Skip to content
Grazia British
Festival of Joy returns to downtown Bloomington

Festival of Joy returns to downtown Bloomington

By Grazia British

Culture

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. (WMBD) — The 15th annual Festival of Joy transformed the downtown Bloomington area into a mini India.

Many wore colorful Indian clothes, got henna tattoos, and face dot face paintings. The Indian cuisine featured plant-based foods.

A parade with many people walked down the street singing Hare Krishna. You could also dance, do yoga, or even meditate at the fest.

The festival is also known as the Festival of Chariots and date back 3,000 years ago to a city in India which lays claim to the longest running street festival, according to the group’s website.

The website states:

“This re-enactment of the famous Ratha Yatra parade, also celebrated as the Festival of Chariots, is rooted in ancient India’s bhakti or devotional tradition. It has been observed annually for more than 3,000 years in the holy city of Jagannatha Puri in Orissa, India, making it the world’s longest-running street festival.”
Festival of Joy website.

Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to CIProud.com.

Originally published by yahoo.com. Syndicated material does not necessarily reflect the views of Grazia British.

More Culture