Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

Pomp, gaiety mark Janmashtami

VISAKHAPATNAM: Traditional pomp and gaiety marked the Krishna Janmashtami celebrations here on Sunday. Devotees made a beeline to the temples in the city to offer prayers.

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) started the celebrations from the early hours of the day and competitions like painting, Gita recitation, essay-writing, poster-making, sweet dish contest, fancy dress, solo and group dance, singing and drama were organised. Children dressed as Lord Krishna participated in ‘Utti Utsavam’ with great excitement and euphoria.

Dressed in colourful grand attires, little Krishnas and Gopikas participated in various competitions conducted on the auspicious occasion. At ISKCON, the place was teeming with children painted blue, flute in hand and the unmistakable peacock feather on the head with little silk dhotis.

It was a little horde of naughty Krishnas with only the parents being able to identify their wards.

The parents had to keep an eye on the naughty ones who started to pull out the costumes. At midnight, the kalabhishekham was performed with 108 kalasa and 51 lighted lamps.

Sri Guruvayoorappan (Sri Krishna) Mandir at Seethammadhara North extension celebrated the day with a lot of fervour. Cultural programmes were organised and at midnight Krishna ‘arti’ was performed to mark the birth of Lord Krishna.

‘Utti utsav’ was also held amid fanfare on Sunday evening.

Janmashtami celebrations were held with great enthusiasm at Srikrishna Vidya Mandir. A fancy dress competition was organised for the little ones. The students of high school gave a fascinating display of different scenes and events from Lord Krishna’s life.

With their attires, grand decorations and lucid explanations of the scenes they displayed an exuberant enactment of the Lord’s childhood endeavours, episodes from the Mahabharata and Lord Krishna’s Rasa Leela in Brindavan.

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