A RATHAYATRA procession was held in Basingstoke on Saturday by the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), which attracted more than 1,500 participants.

A free family yoga festival was also held in the War Memorial Park as part of the celebrations.

A free vegetarian feast was served to all who attended the festival.

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Rathayatra is a Hindu festival observed by taking an image of a deity in a procession (Yatra) through the streets in a chariot (Ratha).

The festival originates in ancient India in Orissa, which occurs every year, celebrated by millions of participants annually.

The procession was inaugurated with a special ceremony by Basingstoke deputy mayor Cllr David Leeks, deputy mayoress Amanda Leeks, and councillors Arun Mummalaneni and Vishal Gauranga Das.

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Check out our gallery above to see some photos from the grand procession.

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