Yesterday, a large parade float in the form of a giant yellow bell was spotted in the Boston city streets. Specifically, this was seen in the Backbay area and was carried on giant wheels. Overall, it had quite an intricate look about it.

Despite looking unusual, there is a reason for this float – and it’s actually quite cool. It turns out that this bell is part of the Hindu Ratha Yatra festival. Also known as the Festival of Chariots, it is one of the most significant and widely celebrated festivals in the Hindu calendar, particularly among devotees of Lord Jagannath (a form of Lord Krishna), his sister Subhadra, and his elder brother Balabhadra.

The festival usually takes place in the month of June or July and lasts for several days and often attracts a large number of pilgrims and tourists who come to witness the majestic spectacle of the chariot procession and participate in the festivities.

Over the years, Boston has had a small but noticeably Hindu population, which represents around 1% of the city’s religion. It also has over 50 Hindu temples in the city – so it’s not too surprising to see the Ratha Yatra festival being celebrated over the weekend.

As seen, this also has plenty of beautiful, bright colors and for those with a sweet tooth amongst us, it also involves lots of delicious sweet foods that originate from India, such as jalebi and kheer.