Mathura, September 4-The city of Lord Krishna is making grand celebration of its beloved Kanha’s birthday on Janmashtami on 4th September. Major temples across the city follow some unique rituals on Janmashtami.
Sri Bankey Bihari temple, Vrindavan, will observe its once-a-year ritual of Mangla Arti. “Swami Haridas ji started the ritual of Arti immediately after the birth of Lord Krishna,” Gyanendra Kishore Goswami Sewayat at Sri Bankey Bihari temple said.
Mahaabishek of Thakur ji will be performed with milk, curd, honey, ghee and bhura (powdered sugar). Coriander Burfi, Panjeeri, and Laddoos are specialities offered to Sri Bankey Bihari ji Maharaj as prashad.
Amid chanting of “nand ke anand bhaye jai kanhaiya lal ki”, Thakurji’s toys and money are also flung on devotees.
Complying with the High Court order, the aarti was open for 600 devotees last year. Sri Bankey Bihari Temple High Powered Committee, Vrindavan, is considering marginally increasing the number of passes for this year’s aarti.
Vrindavan’s Radharaman temple celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna in the morning. This is in line with the time of the appearance of Radha Raman Lal Ji, Dinesh Chandra Goswami Sewayat, at Sri Radha Raman temple, said.
The celebrations start with the ritual of collecting Yamuna Jal (Water) by the Sewayat Goswamis. Mahabahishek is then performed at the temple’s Jagmohan, which concludes with the offering of Saffron water, kept in a golden pot.
Since Swami Gopal Bhatt offered Gud and Til (Jaggery and Sesame seeds) as prashad to Thakur Radha Raman Lal when he appeared before him, the same is offered as the first sacred food offering to Thakur Ji.
The temple uses mustard seeds and cloves to ward off evil eyes from the deity and observes Jhanki Darshan.
The Sewayat also blesses the child before praying to him, he added.
The historical Dwarikadeesh temple has begun preparing for the celebration. Thakur ji’s jewellery and ornaments are being cleaned. The temple is selecting the attire Rajadhiraj will adorn after the birth. The temple will observe the birth of lord Krishna at 11.45 at night.
On Janmashtami day, the temple will open for the grand celebration of Krishna’s birth at 7.30 pm and will remain open till midnight, Rakesh Tiwari, Media and Legal In-charge, Sri Dwarikadeesh temple said.
However, Nand Baba temple at Nandgaon will celebrate Janmashtami on Saturday, a day after Janmashtami is celebrated at Sri Krishna Janmashtan Mathura, due to its age-old tradition of using Khur counting. “8 days are counted on the fingers after Rakshabandhan for Janmashtami day determination,” Supreme Court lawyer and Sevayat at Nandbaba temple Nand Kishore Goswami said.
A loss of a date in the Hindu Lunar calendar results in Janmashtami being celebrated at Nandgaon after it is celebrated elsewhere.
The temple observes a Bajan evening and a performance of Dhandhi Dhandan Leela. The Divine lineages of Lord Krishna are also told. Shankar Leela, Malla Yudha(wrestling)and Nandotsav will be celebrated the next day.
Nandgaon and Barsana Goswamis will sing Sohar or Badhai geet (singing to celebrate the birth of a child) and also share laddoos, Goswami added.
At Gokul’s Nand Bhavan temple, chati (the sixth Day ceremony of Lord Krishna)is celebrated a day before Janmashtami (this year on 3rd September). “The entire Gokul was in unrest after Lord Krishna killed the female demon Putna. Ma Yashoda was so engaged with ongoing trouble in Gokul that she forgot to perform Chati of Lord Krishna.
When the situation became normal, Ma Yashoda realised her mistake and performed Chati before Little Krishna turned one, Pawan Kumar Sharma, Treasurer, Gokul Brahmin Tirth Purohit Samiti, which manages Nand Bhawan temple Gokul, said.
The Uttar Pradesh Tirth Vikas Parishad has scheduled a Drone show on Janmashtami evening from 9 pm to 9.30 pm. 500 drones will be showcasing different Leelas of Lord Krishna, Mathura MP Hema Malini said.
The Idea of our government is to make the celebration grand, and preserve local rituals and culture. Every prominent place of Lord Krishna’s life has been developed in the last several years.
