Pomp and gaiety mark janmashtami in Udupi

Vishwesha Tirtha Swami of Paryaya Pejawar Mutt performs rituals at Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple

A view of the florally decorated ‘mantapa’ in the Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple during the Sri Krishna Janmashtami celebrations in Udupi on Wednesday.

Krishna Janmashtami festival was celebrated with traditional pomp and gaiety here on Wednesday.

The Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple, where Sri Madhwacharya, exponent of Dwaita philosophy, installed the idol of Lord Krishna about 800 years ago, was the cynosure of all eyes. The temple was decorated with different types of flowers right from the entrance to the sanctum sanctorum. Vishwesha Tirtha Swami of Paryaya Pejawar Mutt participated in the rituals connected with janmashtami at the temple. He was assisted by Vishwaprasanna Tirtha, junior seer of Pejawar Mutt, who also decorated the idol of Lord Krishna depicting the “Krishnavatara” in the sanctum sanctorum of temple.

One of the major attractions of the festival was the “Muddu Krishna” competition, where children sport the costumes of Lord Krishna as a child (or Lord Balakrishna). The event was held at Rajangana Parking Space and the Anna Dharma Hall. These halls had a number of children dressed as young Lord Krishna. The competitions were held in three categories – upto three years, three to five years and five to eight years.

Parents were seen prompting their children below three years on how to behave on the stage during the competition.

Children enact 'Balakrishna'

The children tried to imitate the childhood pranks of Lord Krishna to devotional songs played in the background on the stage. The audience lauded the children. Both the seers watched the competitions and spent some time with the children. A large number of devotees visited the temple and offered their prayers. A competition to churn buttermilk saw women participating in it. Even as the celebrations were going on, ladoos were being prepared by cooks in one of the halls of the temple. Both the seers joined the devotees in preparation of ladoos. Car Street, where the Sri Krishna Mutt/Temple and Ashta Mutts (eight mutts) are located, was decked with flower sellers. Shekhar Gowda, a flower seller from Bairapura village in Chikkamagaluru district, said that the business this time was dull and he was selling a

maaru (one round) of marigolds for just ₹10. This is because of two Janmashtamis held this year (as per solar and lunar almanacs), he said. Many teams of “Huli Vesha” dancers danced at different streets in the city.