6 hours ago
Day-long fast, Krishna chants mark Janmashtami in city
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Patna: With temples decorated, streets illuminated, and air filled with the rhythmic chants of 'Hare Rama, Hare Krishna' and 'bhajans', the city burst into a vibrant spectacle of faith and festivity as it celebrated Janmashtami on Saturday.
Devotees observed fasts and decorated the idols of Sri Krishna at their homes to mark the birth of the Lord, as per the Hindu belief. After observing daylong fast, devotees prepared special 'prasad' to offer to the Lord at midnight, the moment believed to mark Krishna's birth.
Many also flocked to temples, with the Iskcon temple on Buddha Marg serving as the epicentre of the celebrations. More than one lakh devotees thronged Iskcon throughout the day since it opened at 7am.
As the day progressed, the footfall kept increasing, especially from evening, and reached a high around midnight when thousands witnesses the Lord's 'janmotsav' (birth celebrations) till the temple closed for devotees at 1am on Sunday.
by Taboola
by Taboola
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The temple was transformed into a divine realm, decorated in the 'Vrindavan' theme with 80 quintals of flowers from several places, including Thailand, Bangkok and Bangalore.
At the stroke of midnight, the temple performed its signature 'maha abhishek', a sacred bathing ceremony of the deity. The idol was bathed with holy water from 251 silver pots, a spectacle witnessed by thousands who patiently waited for darshan. Following the 'abhishek', a 'maha bhog' (edible offerings to the Lord) of 501 different kinds of dishes was offered to Lord Krishna before being distributed among the devotees as 'prasad'.
Ishika Raj, a resident of Boring Road, said the festival brings an unmatched joy to her family. "Janmashtami is not just a ritual for us, it is a feeling. I have been observing fast on this occasion since I was in school. I fast all day and then, at midnight, sing bhajans, rock the cradle of Bal Gopal, and perform 'aarti', along with my family.
Apart from the temples, local communities also organised cultural Dahi-Handi competitions, re-enacting the playful antics of Lord Krishna.
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