Mathura celebrates Janmashtami

Vijay Upadhyay

MATHURA. Despite the confusion over the exact date of Krishna Janmashtami celebrations this year, the festival will be held with full vigour and devotion on August 27 at Lord Krishna's mythological birthplace at Krishna janmabhoomi in Mathura.

Girish Goswami, a priest at Bankey Bihari temple in Vrindavan, says exactly at midnight, the Lord's birth hour, every temple in Mathura and Vrindavan will resonate with the sound of aarti. Butter is especially included in the celebrations as Krishna is known to have been very fond of it in his childhood.

Traditional prasad called Panchajiri - made of five ingredients, powdered ginger, suva, coriander, sugar and ghee - is also distributed on the occasion.

According to Goswami, after the aarti, devotees jubilantly sing kirtans extolling the Lord; celebrations continue late into the evening of the following day when the crowd slowly begins to disperse.

According to Kapil Sharma, Secretary, Sri Krishna Janmasthanam trust, Krishnalila has already begun in Mathura and will culminate on August 28 with Nandotsava. The lord shall be hailed by Mahant Nritya Gopal Das who will reach Mathura from Ayodhya in the morning.

All inns and hotels in the twin towns of Mathura and Vrindavan are packed with devotees awaiting the moment of Krishna's birth on the midnight of August 27; subsequent celebrations shall last a full day till August 28. In view of the expected inflow of more than 30 lakh devotees to Mathura on a single day and the recent terrorist attack on Ayodhya, the Mathura administration has made all adequate security arrangements to protect the janmabhoomi from any terror strikes.

Talking to The Pioneer, Satyendra Veer Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police, Mathura, said the Provincial Armed Corps has been deployed in ample numbers around the area and special measures have been taken to ensure that the temple premises are completely off-limit to anti-social elements. This, while ensuring that devotees do not face trouble in witnessing "Krishna Abhishek", the bathing ceremony.

He said the highways had been cordoned off and no vehicular movement was being allowed near the janmabhoomi to prevent any mishaps. Besides, he said, security has also been augmented at the city's railway and bus stations.

(UNITED NEWS NETWORK)
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