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Otago Daily Times
4 days ago
- General
- Otago Daily Times
Janmashtami celebrations opened to community
Avnika Jaya Kumari, 7, of Invercargill, performs an Indian classical Bharatanatyam dance at the Trinity Catholic College auditorium on Saturday, as part of the annual Janmashtami celebrations. PHOTO: GREGOR RICHARDSON Hundreds in Dunedin came together for a "very magical night" at the weekend celebrating the birth of an Indian deity. The event, held at the Trinity Catholic College auditorium on Saturday, was organised by the city's Hare Krishna community with support from the Dunedin Multicultural Council and Dunedin Interfaith Council. It coincided with this year's annual celebrations of Janmashtami — the birth of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. Hare Krishna community leader Jane Beecroft said they broadened the scope of their celebrations this year to an inclusive interfaith and multicultural event "in praise of the divine". "I think in the world at the moment, we're just seeing so much division and so much strife, even in the name of religion. "And I wanted to send that message out that actually we are all united." Millions of Hare Krishnas and members of the Hindu community around the world celebrated Janmashtami, Ms Beecroft said. The venue for celebrations in the city last year had been so packed, it was decided to hire a bigger location this year. She estimated more than 300 people attended the event — about 30% of whom represented other groups. "It was really heartfelt, and that's what everyone was saying. "It was a very magical night." There was dancing, chanting and feasting. Ms Beecroft said they had been slightly apprehensive about broadening the celebrations, but it could be "the start of something wonderful". "We'll do it every year now, and maybe one day we'll end up in the stadium."
Otago Daily Times
14-08-2025
- General
- Otago Daily Times
‘It is a time of great joy'
Dunedin Hare Krishna community leader Jane Beecroft and local children pictured during Krishna Janamastami celebrations last year. PHOTO: SUPPLIED Joy will be in the air this weekend, as local multicultural groups come together to celebrate the Krishna Janamastami festival alongside millions of people around the world. Dunedin's Hare Krishna community will host the celebration this Saturday, from 7pm at the Trinity Catholic College Auditorium, with support from the Dunedin Multicultural Council and the Dunedin Interfaith Council. Hare Krishna community leader Jane Beecroft said the annual Hindu festival celebrated the birth of Krishna and would feature music, dancing, drama and free food. "It is a time of great joy and we want to share it with everyone, to show the people of Dunedin that we are all united by love, respect and faith." Dunedin City councillor Christine Garey will be festival guest speaker and there will be performances by four groups from Dunedin's vibrant multicultural community. "The auditorium will be beautifully, colourfully decorated and people will be able to move around, come and go and enjoy the food which will be available throughout the night," Ms Beecroft said. "Our devotees will be making at least 108 dishes for the feast." As the community surrounding Dunedin's Hare Krishna temple at 133 London St continued to grow, the numbers attending the festival had outgrown the available space, Ms Beecroft said. "Hence, we have moved the festival to the Trinity College Auditorium, where there is plenty of room to welcome the whole community to join us." The Dunedin Interfaith Group provided a space for connection between about 20 faiths in the city, and it was great to have so many people coming together to make the celebration happen, she said. "It's pretty magic, and is a good representation of what we are looking to see in the world."
