Vijay Singh
‘Manas Rath Yatra’ in Kericho draws inspiration from the Jagannath Rath Yatra and Tulsidas’s unparalleled vision of the Dharma Rath
Kericho (Kenya), July 24: Renowned spiritual leader Morari Bapu began his 981st Ram Katha today in Kericho, the Kenyan region internationally renowned for its verdant tea plantations. Titled ‘Manas Rath Yatra’, the nine-day Katha will continue until 26 July 2026 at the Dansed Gardens Ground.
As the annual Jagannath Rath Yatra has just commenced, Bapu dedicated the Katha to the spirit of the sacred journey. He remembered Lord Jagannath and the Rath Yatras of Bhavnagar and Ahmedabad. A Jagannath temple priest was also invited from Ahmedabad to Africa for the occasion, creating a ceremonial bridge between India and Kenya.
Reflecting on the divine family of Jagannath, Subhadra and Balabhadra, Bapu described Krishna as Jag Bhadra—the one concerned with the welfare of the entire world and universe.
The central lines selected for the Katha are from the Lanka Kand of the Ram Charit Manas, in which Goswami Tulsidas presents his profound description of the Dharma Rath, or the chariot of righteousness.
“I have seen many scriptures, but I have not seen a description of the Dharma Rath like the one given by Goswami Tulsidas,” Bapu said. “Tulsi ka Dharma Rath maulik hai. Main zimmedari se bolta hoon—Tulsi’s Dharma Rath is wholly original, and I say this with responsibility.”
Bapu observed that numerous sacred texts contain descriptions of different kinds of chariots, but Tulsidas’s conception of the Dharma Rath is distinctive and is not commonly found even in the Vedas and Shastras.
Explaining the deeper meaning of maulikta, or originality, Bapu said that between the laukik—the worldly—and the alaukik—the otherworldly—lies the maulik. Its meaning is discovered between the lines.
“A river flows between two banks, but its flow is entirely its own,” he said. “When one moves towards maulikta, one transcends everything.”
Bapu particularly highlighted Tulsidas’s depiction of shaurya, or valour, and dhairya, or patience and fortitude, as the two wheels of the Dharma Rath, calling the conception unparalleled.
He added that listening to Katha is a prakriya of turning inwards: while climbing Mount Everest is an outward ascent, the inward journey is akin to bathing in Lake Manasarovar at Mount Kailash.
The Divine Name Floating Through the Universe
During the first day’s discourse, Bapu also offered an esoteric interpretation of japa, or the repeated chanting of the Divine Name.
He said that the supreme word of the Divine is floating throughout the universe. When a seeker draws each bead of the Berkha towards oneself during chanting, one is symbolically reaching into the universe and gathering the Holy Name.
According to Bapu, there are five forms or stages of japa:
- Bona — sowing the Divine Name
- Karna — performing japa
- Karana — getting others to do japa for you
- Hona — when japa happens on its own
- Sona — putting japa to rest
Explaining the deeply esoteric idea of putting japa to sleep, Bapu said that sometimes so much spiritual experience accumulates within a disciple that it becomes like an elephant entering a small hut. At such a stage, even japa may have to be allowed to rest.
A Special Return to Kenya After 50 Years
Kenya holds a special place in Morari Bapu’s spiritual journey. In 1976, he conducted his first Ram Katha outside India in Kenya. Fifty years later, his Kathas have travelled across the world.
Bapu paid tribute to the Gujarati and Indian diaspora in Africa for preserving their spiritual and cultural inheritance across generations.
“Ram, Krishna aur Shiva ki sabhyata ki dhwaja ko phairte rakha hai,” he said, praising the community for keeping the flag of the Vedic Sanatana Dharma of Ram, Krishna and Shiva flying high in Africa.
The Katha has been organised by Satish Modi, who was born in a village close to Kericho and had been waiting for this occasion for 25 years.
“Sometimes, what is sown does not bear fruit immediately,” Bapu said. Complimenting Modi’s patience and commitment, he added that he had ensured that the seed did not die during those 25 years.
Morari Bapu’s 981st Ram Katha is open to everyone, irrespective of religion, nationality, caste, community or background. Those attending the Katha will be served free vegetarian lunch and dinner every day.
Bapu does not accept any payment for conducting a Ram Katha. The discourses and all meals served during the event are completely free of charge.
Rooted in the eternal values of Satya, Prem and Karuna—Truth, Love and Compassion—Manas Rath Yatra carries forward Bapu’s lifelong mission of spreading the light of the Ram Charit Manas and the universal values of Vedic Sanatana Dharma.
Event Details
Katha: Manas Rath Yatra
Katha Number: 981
Dates: 18–26 July 2026
Time: 10:00 am onwards daily
Venue: Dansed Gardens Ground, Kericho, Kenya
Location: View on Google Maps
Entry: Open to all and free of charge
Meals: Free vegetarian lunch and dinner daily
About Morari Bapu
Morari Bapu was born on Mahashivratri in 1946. He has been reciting Ram Kathas for more than 65 years, having begun his spiritual journey at the age of 14 beneath a village tree in Gujarat. He was initiated into the Ram Charit Manas by his grandfather and guru, Tribhuvana Dasji.
Drawing from Vedic Sanatana Dharma, popularly known as Hindu Sanatana Dharma, Bapu’s narrations emphasise universal peace and the timeless values of Truth, Love and Compassion. People attending his Kathas come from every region, religion, caste and community.
Over the decades, Morari Bapu has conducted 981 Ram Kathas at cities and pilgrimage sites across India and around the world, including Kenya, South Africa, Sri Lanka, the United Kingdom, the United States, Brazil, Australia, Israel and Japan.
He recently conducted Kathas at all 12 Jyotirlingas in India while travelling by train and held landmark spiritual gatherings at the United Nations Headquarters in New York and the University of Cambridge. He has also conducted Kathas aboard a ship and an aircraft during a circumnavigation of the globe.
Bapu has taken Ram Katha to communities often excluded from mainstream religious spaces, including sex workers and transgender people. He has also supported humanitarian initiatives in disaster-affected and conflict-hit regions around the world, including Ukraine and Israel.
As a regular practice at every Katha, free vegetarian meals are served as prasad to all who attend.
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