Sri Krishna Janmashtami was celebrated with traditional pomp and gaiety here on Friday.
The Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple, where the exponent of Dwaita philosophy Sri Madhwacharya installed the idol of Lord Krishna about 800 years ago, was the cynosure of all eyes. The temple was decorated with flowers.
Vidyadheesha Tirtha Swami of Paryaya Palimar Mutt participated in the rituals connected with Janmashtami at the temple. Vidyarajeshwara Tirtha, junior seer of Palimar Mutt, and Ishapriya Tirtha, junior seer of Admar Mutt, assisted him. A major attraction of the festival was the Muddu Krishna competition, where children sport the costumes of Lord Krishna as a child (or Lord Balakrishna), which was held at Rajangana and the Anna Brahma Hall.
These halls had a number of children dressed as a young Krishna.
The competitions were held in three categories — up to three years, three to five years and five to eight years.
Parents prompted children below three years on how to behave on the stage during the competition at Rajangana.
While some children responded to the prompting, the others did not.
The children tried to imitate the childhood pranks of Lord Krishna to devotional songs played in the background on the stage. The audience applauded the children. All the three seers watched the competition and spent some time with the children.
A large number of devotees visited the temple and offered their prayers. In fact, the queue stretched till the entrance of the Anna Yajna building. A competition to churn buttermilk too was held.
Even as the celebrations were going on, ladoos were being prepared by cooks in one of the halls of the temple.
The seers joined the devotees in the preparation of ladoos.
Vendors from other districts sat on either side of the Car Street, where the Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple and Ashta Mutts are located, to sell flowers here.
Shanthamma, a flower seller from Hebbela from Hassan district, said that business was down as there was rain both in Hassan and here.
“We come in groups in a van and sell flowers here during every Janmashtami and leave after the Vittal Pindi festival,” she said.
Many teams of Huli Vesha dancers danced on different streets in the city. Actor Rakshith Shetty danced with the Huli Vesha dancers at Korangrapady here.
