BHOPAL: Janmashtami was celebrated with festive zeal in Bhopal on Monday. There were several cultural events organised at International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) temple, Patel Nagar, and other temples where Laddu Gopal’s arrival gave people a reason to forget Covid blues.
ISKCON curated some signature events for Janmashtami Mahotsav. The day started with a mangal arti at 5am, followed by shringar darshan and Krishna katha. Evening saw another round of kirtans, along with aartis and Krishna katha.
“A major attraction was a dance drama titled ‘Shreel Haridas Thakur’ presented by members, followed by maha abhishek,” said PRO of the temple, Shyam Sundar Das. He added, “Due to pandemic, we allowed 50 people inside the temple and 200 in the pandal outside at a time, Covid precautions were duly taken. Chhappan bhog was offered to the Lord and later packed prasad, including baghar, rajgire ki poori, several sweets made of milk, were distributed.”
Communities also organised cultural events to mark the festival. Rajputana women’s cultural and welfare organisation organised matki phod and ras leela, wherein women dressed as Krishna and Gopikas presented a beautiful picture. Founder president of the organisation, Shiva Raje Sisodia, said, “These festivals strengthen the social bond; celebrating these occasions together motivates everyone to fight depression in Covid times. Matki and bansuri decorating competitions were a big hit and brought to fore the child within.”
