Ujjain: The ISKCON temple is all set to hold a gala to celebrate Janmashtami on August 30. All the events will be held in compliance with the Covid-19 guidelines, said ISKCON PRO Raghav Pandit Das.
The Covid-19 induced restrictions have marred the preceding Janmashtami celebrations but this year the devotees will be able to get darshan by complying with corona guidelines.
A host of online programmes including drawing, quiz, Hare Krishna kirtan competition for children from class I to XII, poetry writing, shloka reciting, story, fancy dress and online abhishek. 56 bhog darshan, an exhibition based on the life of Acharya Srila Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON, will also be organised.
A tableaux based on Krishna-Leela at 8 pm, will be organised under the direction of Amal Bhakta Prabhu. Besides, special kids’ zone and a selfie zone will be created for the devotees.
Continuous Kirtan will be held besides distribution of fruits prasadam.
An Abhishek platform will be built. On this well-equipped Abhishek platform, there will be a facility for the devotees willing to worship Lord Krishna to take the abhishek-receipt and perform the abhishek with their own hands.
Attractive dresses adorned with flowers and fruits will be offered to the Lord. After the abhishek, there will be a Maha arti at midnight to welcome Lord Krishna with pyro lights. The security system will be chalked out with attractive electrical decoration. Checking will be done by metal detector and the whole campus will be equipped with CCTV. The activities in the temple such as darshan of the Lord, Abhishek etc will continue to be shown through two LEDs.
Nandotsav will be celebrated on August 31 which is the 125th appearance day of Acharya Srila Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON. Srila Prabhupada will be glorified in this memory and 56 bhog will be offered to Thakurji to celebrate the festival.
ADM Narendra Suryavanshi and ASP Amrendra Singh visited the ISKCON temple on Saturday to review the arrangements.
The temple management informed the administration that 6 devotees in a queue will be allowed for darshan in compliance with the corona norms. Darshan for devotees will be discontinued from 10.30 pm although priests will continue to perform rituals inside the temple and that too on the symbolic basis.
Box
About festival
ISKCON PRO Raghav Pandit Das said, whenever there is loss of Dharma, God incarnates to protect it. Similarly, about 5000 years ago, Lord Krishna incarnated from the womb of Mother Devaki in the imprisonment of Kansa in Mathura on the Ashtami date of Krishna Paksha of Bhadraprad month, to get freedom from the atrocities of Kansa in Dwapara Yuga. This day is celebrated with great pomp in Indian culture and there is no dearth of devotees of Krishna.
