The festivities don't stop after Christmas - on December 26 and 27 the first Festival of Chariots takes place along the Sea Point promenade. A highlight of the festival, held in big cities around the world, is a 15m-high chariot.

It will be pulled along a 2.1km route by festivalgoers, accompanied by the sounds of drums, cymbals, bells and conch shells. A police convoy will escort the procession along Beach Road from Three Anchor Bay.

The festival has been organised by the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) and will be based on the grassy area of the promenade near Three Anchor Bay.

A Festival of Chariots is held every Easter in Durban, and it draws a crowd of around 200 000 people.

Parijata Munien of Iskcon explains that the chariot will transport three representations of the face of God.

The origin of the festival, the second biggest in India, dates back to the early days of the caste system, where many people weren't allowed into the temples to view the Lords.

A street procession was held so that everyone could view the various faces of God.

The two-day event, organised entirely by volunteers and free of charge, is a family affair, with activities and stalls centred on a main tent that holds a thousand people.

It includes dramas, rock bands, dances, movies, lectures and chanting.

There will be gift and craft stalls, a yoga lounge and an area for children. There will also be a film site, where the documentary Mother Ganga will have its Cape Town première at 8pm and 9.15pm both nights.

Food will be catered by Food For Life, which runs the largest vegetarian feeding scheme in the world. Free cooking demonstrations will be held.

For those interested in relaxation techniques, there will be mantra meditation and yoga. The ancient mendhi art of body painting with henna and gopi dots will be demonstrated.

There will be an eco-village where the Care For Cows project will be highlighted.

Iskcon, says Munien, is not a Hindu group, as many people think, but an international society which focuses on the understanding of spirituality.

"We are all spirit souls in a material body and we are all spiritual equals."

The festival runs from 1pm to 10pm. The procession on Tuesday, December 26, starts at 2pm at Three Anchor Bay and moves to Marais Road and back again, a 2.1km journey.

Entrance is free, as is all the entertainment.