‘Krishna Janamshtami’, marking the birth of Lord Krishna, is one of the most elaborately celebrated festivals at the Gita Bhavan Hindu temple in Manchester. It came as no surprise, therefore, when over 400 people turned up at the temple’s Janmashtami event last week.
Janmashtami – also known as ‘Gokulashtami’ or ‘Krishnashtami’ in different parts of India – marks the birth of the Hindu god Shri Krishna, the protagonist of the Hindu epic Mahabharata. An incarnation of Lord Vishnu, Krishna’s birth and stories from his childhood and adolescence are all celebrated and believed to be a form of leela (divine acts). Owing to this, Janmashtami events are not solely celebrations of his birth but also of the various facets of his life; from Makhan Chor [the one who steals butter] to Raas Leela [Krishna’s divine dance with the milkmaids] to his love for Radha.
Gita Bhavan’s Janmashtami celebrations are an annual event going back nearly 20 years. Helmed by Amita Tandon, a member of the community, the event has seen an entire generation of the community children take part in various skits, graceful dances, beautiful singing performances and other acts. Preparations and planning for the grand event begin several months prior to the day, with tasks like outlining the programme, enlisting help from local artists and enrolling children taking up the top priorities early on. Putting together dances and songs, rehearsing and handing out costumes for each child follows in due course in the lead up to the main day.
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This year’s Janmashtami celebrations saw children of all ages – the youngest being just fifteen months old – take part in the two-hour long program. Starting with the story of Krishna’s miraculous birth, the evening took the devotees through a collage of Kirshna’s mischiefs, miracles, and teachings. A simple but delicious prashad (offering) of sweetened saffron milk was also later offered to those who attended.
The festivities carried on after the main event, culminating at midnight which is said to be the time of Krishna’s birth. Several devotees stayed till after midnight with many also attending a parallel event at the ISKCON Temple in Manchester, where celebrations leading up to midnight were on in full swing, with devotees taking part in singing bhajans and devotional songs, and dancing through the night with much energy and enthusiasm.
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*Info: Gita Bhavan; ISKCON Manchester
