Janmashtami celebrated across Hubballi-Dharwad

Sri Krishna Janmashtami was celebrated with religious fervour and enthusiasm across the twin cities on Friday, with temples, educational institutions, and cultural organisations organising special prayers, rituals, and programmes to mark the occasion.

At Rashtrrothana Vidya Kendra, Sattur, Dharwad, students presented devotional songs and dances and participated in a Radha-Krishna ramp walk. Krishna puja, mangalarati, a traditional cradle ceremony, and ‘matki phod’ were also held.

Janmashtami was celebrated with equal enthusiasm at various educational institutions run by the Janata Shikshana Samiti in Hubballi-Dharwad on Thursday. Students dressed as Krishna and Radha participated in the celebrations, adding colour to the festivities.

At ISKCON Hubballi-Dharwad, the two-day celebrations concluded with the participation of hundreds of devotees. The final day began at 4.30 a.m. with mangalarati and the chanting of Sri Gurvastakam. Sri Sri Radha Govind Devji and Sri Sri Krishna Balaram were adorned in the ‘Vrindavan Chandra Alankara’, a blue-and-gold ensemble handcrafted in Vrindavan.

Devotees participated in darshan, archana, and various sevas throughout the day. A special offering of 108 varieties of delicacies was made to the deities. A 160-kg laddu prepared with desi ghee was among the attractions.

The evening featured music and dance performances by artistes from the twin cities. A dance drama by Mayur Natya Kendra, Hubballi, was performed and was followed by a tabla jugalbandi by Manu Kumar and his team. In the evening, the deities were ceremonially bathed with sandalwood oil, panchagavya, panchamrita, fruit juices and gem-infused water.

At midnight, the deities were revealed amid the chanting of verses from the Brahma Samhita, followed by maha-mangalarati. ISKCON Hubballi-Dharwad president Rajiv Lochan Dasa spoke on the significance of Lord Krishna’s appearance and His divine pastimes.

Devotees also observed a full-day fast as part of the celebration. The celebrations across the twin cities combined traditional rituals, devotional music, cultural performances and children’s activities, providing an opportunity for the younger generation to learn about the cultural traditions associated with Janmashtami.

A “breaking the curd pot” contest was also organised as part of the celebrations, and in both Hubballi and Dharwad, similar contests are scheduled to be held at different locations on Saturday too.