Spiritual fervour marks ‘Krishnashtami’ celebrations

Visakhapatnam: Akhanda Harinama sankirtana, special abhishekam, mangala arati, chanting of Hare Krishna Maha Mantra for 108 times, among several other programmes are organised as part of the three-day celebrations of ‘Krishna Janmashtami’ at ISKCON Sagar Nagar in Visakhapatnam.

Scores of devotees take part in the celebrations that continue till August 27 at ISKCON.

Sourced from Vrindavan, the deities of ‘Radha Damodor’ were decked up with silken robes. Fresh flowers from various cities were incorporated to decorate the idols of the temple.

‘Uyya seva’ was held on the occasion that saw participation from diverse age groups. A special Harinama mandapam has been set up for the devotees to chant the Hare Krishna Maha Mantra 108 times before darshan.

Students from various colleges and NCC cadets volunteered to extend support to the celebrations. Annamayya kirtans sung by famous singers of the city and dances performed by dancers impressed the devotees on Sunday.

President of the temple Samba Das and director Mataji Nitai Sevini’s Krishna Leela pravachana added spiritual flavour to the festivities.

‘Bhaja Govindam’

Symbolising Krishna’s childhood, 108 artistes perform aspectacular show ‘BhajaGovindam’ during a two-day special programme organised by Hare Krishna Movement that continues till Monday.

The celebrations here are taking place in two different venues, including Hare Kirshna Vaikuntham at Gambheeram and Gadiraju Palace at MVP Colony.

‘Hari nama japa yagna’, ‘jhulan seva’, abhishekam, cultural programmes, Vyasa puja, nandostavam and special arati among others form a part of the celebrations. Distribution of Bhagavad Gita books, pot-breaking exercise and theme-based games to be held on the occasion.

Miniature art

Marking the festival, a Srikakulam-based artist and goldsmith Veeramallu Siva Naga Narasimhachari sculpted a miniature ‘Radha Krishna’ on a charcoal pencil. It took four hours for the artist to come up with a 16-mm long and 6-mm wide miniature art.

Campus celebrations

Students of Vignan Institute of Information Technology (VIIT) took part in pre-Krishnashtami celebrations at the campus.

As part of the celebrations, discourses about Krishna’s birth, recitations, pot-breaking contests along with other thematic activities were organised. Cultural programmes enthralled the audience on the occasion.