Trainee Civil Servants celebrate Krishna Janmashtami

• “A touch of glitter and a dash of fervour marked the ‘Dahi-Handi’ celebrations, a first-of-its-kind event at the Institute”

Jubilee Hills: Over 300 Trainee Civil Servants, who are attending the 93rd Foundation Course, being conducted by Dr. MCR HRD Institute of Telangana, on behalf of Lal Bahadur Shastri National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie and DoPT, Government of India, celebrated Krishna Janmashtami with gaiety and gusto. 

The fragrance of flowers, soothing aroma of burning camphor, and jingle of the bells filled the air with the magic of religious reverence. 

Lord Krishna’s birth was heralded amid prayers, chanting hymns, ringing bells and aartis, with a welcome drizzle. Bhajans were recited and songs related to Janmashtami were played while a pooja was performed by the Officer Trainees (OTs) and Officers, Faculty, and Staff of the Institute. 

Prasad was distributed after the puja. The dance performance by Sanjula Halder, IRS (IT) and M Sudan Harivijay, IDES as Radha and Krishna, respectively was an icing on the cake.

The celebrations were followed by colourful ‘Dahi-Handi’ festivities.  The OTs dressed in colourful attires went all over the Institute’s campus singing “Govinda Ala Re Ala” to the accompaniment of drums and music as a huge crowd of excited onlookers welcomed them. 

The OTs formed multi- tiered human pyramids and Yatis Deshmukh Vijay Rao, IPS, Jayantika Singh, IRS (IT), and Malyaj Singh, IRS (C & CE) broke the ‘Dahi-Handi’ (curd-pot), an earthen pot having a delicious mixture of curd and butter, commemorating the birth and symbolizing the spirit of Lord Krishna. 

While all safety measures were in place, no one fell or was injured while forming human pyramids. 

The OTs presented electrifying Garba and Free Style dance performances and entertained the audience.

BP Acharya, Spl Chief Secretary & DG, Dr MCR HRD Institute, who graced the occasion, congratulated the OTs for celebrating Krishna Janmashtami and taking an active part in the ‘Dahi-Handi’ festival, which was first-of-its-kind event in the history of the Institute. 

“Lord Krishna had all the qualities of God and was a Jagat Guru (Universal Teacher)”, he said and added that the preaching of Bhagwad Geeta, which are universal in nature, are meant for all human beings in general rather than the followers of one religion. 

The event was jointly organised by all the Societies and Clubs led by the OTs attending the 93rd Foundation Course.