Text
rathera sājani dekhi’ loke camatkāra
nava hemamaya ratha-sumeru-ākāra
Synonyms
rathera—of the car; sājani—decoration; dekhi—by seeing; loke—everyone; camatkāra—astonished; nava—new; hema-ma ya—golden; ratha—chariot car; sumeru-akara—as high as the mountain Sumeru. ¶
Translation
Everyone was astonished to see the decorations on the Ratha car. The car appeared to be newly made of gold, and it was as high as Mount Sumeru. ¶
Purport
In the year 1973 there was a gorgeous Ratha-yātrā festival in London, England, and the car was brought to Trafalgar Square. The London daily newspaper the Guardian published a front-page photo caption: “ISKCON Ratha-yātrā is rival to the Nelson Column in Trafalgar Square.” The Nelson Column is a very impressive statue of Lord Nelson and can be seen from a good distance. Just as the residents of Purī compared the Ratha-yātrā car to Mount Sumeru, the residents of London considered the car rival to the Nelson Monument. ¶