Andhra Pradesh - Tirupati   

ISKCON’s ‘Janmashtami’ celebrations from today

Photo: K.V. Poornachandra Kumar

Festival time: An artist giving the finishing touches to an idol of Lord Krishna ahead of ‘Janmashtami’ at ISKCON’s Lotus Temple in Tirupati on Wednesday. —

TIRUPATI: ‘Sri Krishna Janmashtami’ will be celebrated as a four-day festival at Radha Govinda Mandir, run by the International Society for Krsna Consciousness (ISKCON), here from Thursday.

Around three lakh visitors are expected to converge at the glittering temple at Alipiri, which is locally called ‘Lotus Temple’.

According to ISKCON’s Tirupati president Revati Ramandas, ISKCON members from various countries will be arriving here to take part in the festival.

The temple, which is only the second in the country to show Radha and Krishna surrounded by ‘Ashtasakhis’ (their eight imaginary companions), is also famous across the globe for having the largest altar (Sannidhi) in South India.

The ‘Hare Krishna Road’ leading to the temple will remain closed for vehicular traffic during the festival days, as interesting episodes from Lord’s Krishna’s life will be displayed through colourful dioramas. Artists have already finished painting the three-dimensional dioramas, which will be installed at vantage points leading to the temple. Cultural programmes will be conducted at the sprawling ground adjacent to the temple complex.

‘Prabhat Kalavidaru’, a Bangalore-based cultural troupe will conduct special dance ballets highlighting the glory of Lord Krishna. Similarly, artistes of Nritya Art Academy (Vijayawada) will perform classical dance on Annamayya kirtans.

The birth anniversary of Sri Bhakti Vedanta Swamy Prabhupada, founder of ISKCON movement, will be observed on the last day.

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