Ahead of Janmashtami, temples across India are buzzing with Bhagwat kathas, bhajan concerts by celebrities, innovative jhakis, high end lord Krishna idols. SANGEETA YADAV brings you highlights of the grand celebration
Devotees of lord Krishna are on a temple run for Janmashtami celebrations. From cultural programmes like Bhagwat katha recitation, plays and bhajans to beautiful dresses and jewellery, expensive idols, mesmerising flower decorations and innovative jhakis. The festival brings spiritually fulfilling moments for people from all communities who make Janmashtami a grand affair. Something similar you will get to see at Iskcon Temple in Kalkaji this year which is expected to get a footfall of six lakh people.
“At Iskcon across the world, we kickstarted Janmashtami celebration a month in advance. In the first week of August, we have Bhagwat katha and discourse with the devotees about lord Krishna. We have a shobha yatra in which the deities are taken around the temple locality. This time, we have bhajan singer Vinod Aggarwal to play at Iskcon Kalkaji, and we are also doing a theatrical play. From Kalkaji Metro Station to Iskcon temple, there will be beautiful jhakis showcasing the life and times of Krishna. These are crafts models and photo exhibitions,” Yudhistir Govinda Das, director, communications, Iskcon India, tells you.
Talking about what has been planned for the day, Das says: “We are observing Janmashtami on September 3 and will continue the celebration on Tuesday. The first aarti will be done at 4:30 am on Monday, then 8:00 am, 12:30pm, and other different artis leading up to 10:30 pm for abhishek and maha aarti at midnight. Throughout the day, four different dresses will be offered to the lord Krishna which have been designed by a Delhi-based designer from Roshan’s Boutique who also designs for the king and queen of Morocco.
“At 10:30pm, we will have an abhishek ceremony which will go on for one hour, followed by maha aarti. We use panchamrita which includes milk, curd, honey, sugar water and ghee. Then we have five varieties of fruit juices that will be offered. There will be different kind of flowers to offer. All the devotees coming to the temple will have the opportunity to bathe laddoo Gopal,” Das says.
Since a lot of devotees sponsor and volunteer for various services, the budget for the festival doesn’t go up. “The total budget for Janmashtami celebration is `30 lakh. The dresses are an offering by the designer who is doing this for the last four years. Even the jhankis and the security arrangements are sponsored by the devotees. The idols remain the same. Only the dresses, jewellery and flower decoration changes. All over the vicinity and inside the main hall, we will have 5,000 kg of national and international flowers for decoration,” Das says.
Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir, which is also constructing the world’s tallest temple in Vrindavan, will have singer Kailash Kher singing popular bhajans on September 2 at 6pm followed by Maha Abhishekam at 10 pm and Maha Aarti at 12 am on September 3. The special highlights are chhappan bhog, navposjak darshan, jhulan utsav and maha prasadam.
Coin it
Gift your loved ones a unique 3D silver coin that has baby Krishna made of 100 gm pure silver minted in Switzerland and has 50 crystals around it. Designed by Alok K Goyal, CEO, AG Impex, these first-of-its-kind 3D coins have a baby Krishna statue sitting on a silver leaf.
“The coin has a statue of baby Krishna sitting on the leaf which is a very popular picture that reflects the time when Vasudev had placed Krishna atop a leaf while he was smuggling him from jail to another place. Since he was carried in a small cane basket, we got its box custom made from Malda. The coin was minted in Switzerland with the help of holo technology. To make this coin moisture and dust free, we got a special capsule made and imported from Czechoslovakia. It comes with a certificate of authenticity made on a silk scroll,” Goyal says, adding that he has also made pure silver 3D coins of Ganesha and Tiriputai Balaji.
It is not just a collectable piece. One can shop with this coin in the Republic of Chad.
“It is a limited edition legal tender commemorative coin minted issued by Republic of Chad for 10,000 Francs. They have been officially issued as a currency and one can purchase goods worth 10,000 Francs in the Republic of Chad. Because the market price is high, one can exchange the product. This makes it very unique and special. It costs Rs 29,000 inclusive of GST,” distributor Rohit Mohan Pugalia, founder of Head Ya Tail, e-commerce portal, tells you.
Idol to marvel
Sandalwood, clay, bronze, brass, teak or black metal, name it and the stores will have lord Krishna idols in different shapes, sizes and colours ranging from Rs 200 to Rs 25,000 made by thousands of artisans from UP, Haryana, Chandigarh and Rajasthan. But if you wish to bring home a masterpiece, Spanish luxury brand lladró has launched a new baby Krishna idol this year sitting on the leaf which has been handmade in lladró's workshops in Valencia, Spain.
“It is beautifully decorated with a combination of glossy and matt porcelain with glazes and various parts finished in gold. The colour combination is perfectly used in depicting the jewels. The bansuri in Krishna’s hand is made of gold-plated brass. Making lladro pieces is a competitive process because we work in porcelain and the master sculpture works in clay model, plaster and mould. A very detailed process goes into it and takes nine months to a year. Each piece comes with an insurance which is free of charge under the lladró Assurance Programme,” Nikhil lamba, director, lladro India, tells you.
It is available across eight lladro boutiques in India and costs Rs 80,000 a piece.
