New Delhi, Aug 26
Immersed in festive fervour and devotion, people began thronging temples adorned in hues of yellow early Monday morning to seek Lord Krishna’s blessings on the occasion of Janmashtami.
Chants of ‘Hare Krishna’ and bhajans filled the air as devotees sang and danced to the melodious music. Children dressed as Lord Krishna and Radha accompanied their parents to temples.
The Laxmi Narayan temple (Birla Mandir) was illuminated to celebrate Janmashtami. Several special arrangements were made at prominent temples across the city, including the decoration of shrines with flowers imported from countries like Thailand. In many areas, tableaux of Lord Krishna were displayed.
The Chhattarpur temple organised a ‘Nritya Natika’ (dance drama) on the theme of the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, conveying the message of world peace.
“We organised the Nritya Natika in the morning, and it will be performed again in the evening from 9:30 pm to 11 pm. The theme of this dance drama is the Russia-Ukraine war. Through this, we aim to spread the message of world peace as preached by Lord Krishna,” said Kishore Chawala, CEO of the Chhatarpur temple. “A procession will also take place in the evening,” he added. At the ISKCON temple in East of Kailash, a ‘Maha Puja’ (grand veneration) was performed, and the deity was offered a ‘bhog’ of 1,008 different dishes.
“As soon as we opened the temple gates at 4:30 am, a large queue of devotees gathered to seek the blessings of Lord Krishna. We have arranged for ‘darshan’ throughout the day. At 9:30 pm, we will perform a ‘Maha Abhishek Puja,’ and at 11:30 pm, we will offer the ‘bhog’ of 1,008 dishes.
“Finally, at midnight, we will hold a Maha Aarti and chant Krishna’s name,” said ISKCON vice president Vrjendra Nandan Das. “The temple specially ordered the cloth for the idol of Lord Krishna from Vrindavan, and the decoration of his shrine was done with flowers ordered from Bengaluru and Thailand. It is going to be a grand spectacle for devotees,” Das added.
Temples have also implemented security measures to ensure a smooth ‘darshan’ for devotees. “Delhi Police has deployed 500 officers, supported by our own security personnel and more than 200 CCTV cameras. A team of doctors and ambulances are on a standby for the safety of devotees,” Das said.
“I am extremely happy to celebrate Janmashtami. I came here early in the morning to seek Lord Krishna’s blessings. It is a wonderful feeling to be here on this auspicious occasion,” a young devotee said, expressing his joy at being a part of the celebrations. Delhi Police said they have made elaborate arrangements at all the temples, with the deployment of extra police personnel around the premises. At major temples like Birla, ISKCON, and Chhattarpur, the local police have been asked to coordinate with volunteers to prevent chaos and any untoward incident during celebrations, an officer said.
