MyBangalore.com, August 31 2010: Krishna Janmashtami is the celebration of the appearance day of Lord Krishna on the eighth day of the dark half of the month of Bhadra. ISKCON is all geared up for the Janmashtami celebrations with various cultural programs.
Krishna Jayanti or Krishna Janmashtami is celebrated all over India
Krishna Jayanti, also known as Krishnashtami, Janmashtami, or Gokulashtami, is the birthday of Lord Sri Krishna who is known as one of the most popular and revered Gods in Hinduism. He is also one of the Dasavatara (ten supreme incarnations) of Lord Vishnu.
Krishna Jayanti is celebrated on September first and in some places it is celebrated on the second as well. Lord Sri Krishna is worshipped with utmost pomp in many places of India. Devotees install the clay idol of Sri Krishna and offer abhishek and special naivedya to the Lord. In the evening, cradle ceremony of Lord Sri Krishna is also performed.
There is lot of religious significance of this in Hindu religion. A fast is observed a day before this festival of Krishna Jayanti. When the clock strikes 12 so it is deemed that Lord Krishna has taken birth in the jail where his atrocious maternal uncle Kansa was keeping his parents in prison. The vrata mainly consists of fasting, spending the whole night in the worship of Krishna, reciting hymns of praise and Krishna’s pastimes, reciting prayers from the Bhagavata, offering arghya to Krishna, and the parana or the ceremonial breaking of the fast.
Sri Krishna Janmashtami celebrations at Iskcon and Krishna Lila Theme park
The next day of Sri Krishna Janmashtami is celebrated as Nandotsav or Nanda Mahotsav in Sri Krishna temples. Also ladies draw the design of children’s footprints outside their houses with the help of rice paste. The direction of the footprints is kept towards the inside direction of the house that indicates the entry of Lord Krishna in their house as an infant.
The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is geared up for the Sri Krishna Janmashtami celebrations on Sept. 1 and 2 at ISKCON’s centre and Krishna Lila Theme Park located in Bangalore. The Janmashtami celebrations include Gopuja, while Utlotsavam’ marks the beginning of the birth anniversary celebrations of Lord Krishna. It will be followed by singing of bhajans and a ‘abhishekam’ around midnight. Cultural programmes will also be organized every day evening as part of the celebrations.
On Sept. 2 the organizers plan to distribute ‘Prasadam’ to about 50,000 devotees.
Also one of the sevas which is rendered only on that day is known as Thottilu seva. The seva kartas get to swing an enchanting Deity of baby Krishna eating butter. Another seva that is performed throughout the day is abhisheka seva. The last abhisheka takes place around 10 pm and is the grandest. The abhisheka culminates in the most auspicious arati ceremony of the Lord.
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Sri Krishna Janmashtami will be celebrated at ISKCON Bangalore and Krishna Lila Theme Park on September 1 & 2. Darshan timings: 8 a.m to 11.p.m
Jai Sri Krishna. Radhey-Radhey.