Janmashtami Utsav at Shri Hari Mandir
Janmashtami, the festival of Shri Krishna’s birth, was celebrated with great joy and fun this year at Shri Hari Mandir. Three magnificent palaces tinted with golden hue were put up within the three central temples inside the Hari Mandir. All deities were adorned with yellow clothes and bejewelled with dazzling ornaments. The three palaces were also decorated with flowers and colourful buntings. Saffron flags were adorned on the central domes of the temples. Decorated pillars of plantain trees were put up in front of the sanctum sanctorum. The locale appeared lively ready for the gopis to break into their ecstatic dance to celebrate the birth of Shri Krishna.
During the normal routine the temples close for darshan at 8pm. However on Janmashtami, in accordance with Pujya Bhaishri’s wishes, the temples remained open for darshan until 9pm. From 9.30pm to 11.30pm, the distinguished dancer Padmabhushan from Orissa performed an enchanting dance in the central hall of Shri Hari Mandir depicting the various divine exchanges between Shri Baal Krishna and Maa Yashoda. After the dance performance, Pujya Bhaishri honoured the artistes of the troupe.
Thereafter, addressing the assembled people on the occasion, Pujya Bhaishri said that various other temples have traditions of distributing different types of Prasad. For example, prasad of khichadi is distributed at Sai Baba temple. Similarly, he said that here at Shri Hari Mandir, we have the tradition of distributing prasad of sheera. In addition to this prasad, devotees coming for darshan at Shri Hari Mandir also receive the enchanting smile of Shri Krishna as Prasad and if you can see Shri Krishna smiling at you, know then that that is the true prasad. After this, the first four chapters of the dashma skandh(tenth canto) of Shrimad Bhagavat were recited, followed by sankirtan of the dhun ‘Govind jai jai Gopal jai jai’ until midnight.
At midnight, the curtain at the mandir was raised for Lord Shri Krishna’s darshan. Subsequently, an abhishek (bathing) with panchamrit was performed on the idol of baal swaroop of Shri Krishna. Darshan was then closed for special adornment and to offer a special bhog of delicacies. Nandmahotsav was celebrated with great zeal and fervour.
The next morning at 9am, the idol of Baal Shri Krishna was brought out in a cradle for darshan by devotees. Pujya Bhaishri presented many toys to Baal Krishna. This was followed by a divine raas, bhajan and sankirtan by all devotees and went on for hours. Pujya Bhaishri also broke the matki of maakhan after which raajbhog was offered and aarati was performed. Prasad of makhan misri was offered to all the assembled devotees.
Shri Vinodbhai Sadhu and Shrimati Indiraben Sadhu of Zambia were the manorathi of the Janmastami celebrations.
