Hare Krishna.

Members of London’s Hare Krishna community dance and chant New Years Eve away as they walked through Soho towards central London. The dancing and chanting made a welcome change to the sombre tone of the capital as I walked around. The group planned to move to Trafalgar Square but this had been boarded up with a heavy security presence to deter visitors amid coronavirus restrictions. Dancing through Covent Garden the small group were told by Police to disperse and go home, which they did.

Hare Krishna is the popular name for the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (or ISKCON), a religious movement based in Hinduism. Hare Krishnas believe in attaining salvation through living an ethical life and practices that include chanting and dancing. In London, the Hare Krishna movement has a temple and restaurant on the north side of Soho Square.