Dear Guru Maharaja, please accept my humble obeisances.
All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

(In start of Ratha Yatra,) what is the meaning of coconut arati and breaking of those coconuts?
Are those smashed coconuts Krsna prasadam ?

Thank you!

Your servant Namacarya das

               HpS -  AGTSP   paoho.   I don't know.  Srila Prabhupada doesn't mention it in any book, so it can't be so important.   One story is that it is to extract all the bad ellements away from the Rathayatra and then smash them, so the coconut is poison.  Another is that it is offering to inspire auspiciousness and then the coconut is good.   Hmmm???   If you ge news let us know.