New Delhi:
As millions are set to mark Krishna Janmashtami, Lord Krishna will have to settle for subdued celebrations this time in the midst of the pandemic.
Given the social distancing norms in place, less personal interaction is a must for preventing the spread of the coronavirus. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon) as such has decided to celebrate "Janmashtami" virtually this year.
Chanchalapati Dasa, Senior Vice-President, Iskcon-Bengaluru and Vice Chairman, The Akshaya Patra Foundation, said, "As you know, the country is engulfed in gloom and despair in this pandemic situation and our temples have thousands of visitors every day and on this auspicious occasion the numbers will go up to lakhs."
"So we were wondering how we could spread the joy of Krishna Janmashtami which aims to end negativity, which is currently all around us."
As Vrindavan is a major part of Lord Krishna's childhood, the Iskcon temple there would be holding a grand Abhishek of the God followed by all day long Bhajans-Keertans by the Vaishnav Acharyas in the temple hall and they would be telecast live. However, the main event on a larger scale would be at Iskcon-Bengaluru.
The virtual celebration of Lord Krishna's birthday would be marked by a series of events catering to people of all age groups. "Iskcon is known not only for its spiritual and religious activities but it is also a centre for cultural activities. We believe in cultural revival and bringing it together on one platform to celebrate Krishna and his Leelas," Dasa said.
"Early in the morning, we will have 'Nauka Vihara' - Krishna going on a boat at the crack of dawn followed by a Grand Abhishek and Bhajans. The Abhishek will consist of pancha-gavya, pancha-amrita, varieties of aushada (herbal water), varieties of phala rasas (fruit juices), sandal water, varieties of deepas (lamps), pushpa vrishti (showering of flowers), chaamara seva and Jhulan seva (swing festival)," Chanchalapati said.
"Next would be various panel discussions like "The Inspiring Journey and Message of Iskcon-Bengaluru", "No One Shall Go Hungry" etc. The panel discussions would include various well-known people of the country like Hema Malini, Anupam Kher, celebrity chef Sanjeev Kapoor," he added.