With colourful lights, ringing of bells, chorus of bhajans, melodious music and scores of people participating in some devotional activity or the other, the otherwise serene ISKCON temple at Sagar Nagar came alive on Thursday evening.
At the entrance are placed 108 tiles and the devotees chant Hare Rama Hare Krishna as they step on them while entering the temple premises. Pupils from 48 schools are participating in the four-day Janmashtami celebrations that commenced on Thursday. A host of activities such as solo dance, group dance, drama, children preparing milk sweets for Sri Krishna and other cultural performances add to the festive spirit. There are around 85 stalls displaying products like books, gift articles and other items. This will be the 13 year celebrations of Sri Krishna Janmashtami at ISKCON, said Mataji Nitai Sevini of ISKCON. “There will be a host of events which hundreds of devotees are expected to attend. This time we have made three separate entrances for the devotees,” she said.
Kala Bharathi Auditorium was lit up by 202 kids from the School of Wonder Kids decked up as Radha and Krishna. “With such a good participation, we intend to get into Limca, India Book and Asia Book of Records,” said Principal of the school M. Ramu Naidu.
The city was geared up for the festival with most of the schools participating enthusiastically. Celebration bells began ringing at Sri Krishna Vidya Mandir from 8 a.m. with bhajans and cultural programmes. ‘Bala Gokulam’ was open to all children in the evening. Students dressed up as Sri Krishna and His consort Radha performing skits depicting Kalinga Narthanam, Kamsa and other mythological characters.
The birth of Sri Krishna is celebrated in the city with much gaiety and fervour. And in most of the temples the divine bells will continue to ring for four days.
