India celebrates Janmashtami with pomp and gaiety, Home Minister Shah visits ISKCON temple

Janmashtami was celebrated with much fanfare across the country on Thursday, with thousands of devotees thronging the major temples in Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, the birthplace of Lord Krishna.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted people on the occasion. He wished for new energy and enthusiasm in the lives of "every member of my family", a reference to citizens. "Jai Shri Krishna," Modi added in his post on X. Union Home Minister Amit Shah visited the ISKCON temple located in the East of Kailash, South Delhi and performed a pooja.

The festival celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna. Thousands of devotees witnessed the "abhishek" (bathing of the deity) ceremony of Lord Krishna at the Radha Raman, Radha Damodar and Gokulanand temples in Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, officials said.

Balram Goswami, the priest of the Radha Damodar temple, said while the festival is celebrated at midnight everywhere, it is celebrated during the day at the three major Mathura temples in accordance with the tradition set up by noted seer Jeev Goshwami nearly 500 years ago.

Since the Shahji temple in Vrindavan also celebrates all the festivals in accordance with the traditions followed at the Radha Raman temple, there too, Janmashtami was celebrated in the morning, the priest of the temple, said.

At the Srikrishna Janmabhumi, the day started with the blowing of shehnai and the sound of conch and drum beats, followed by the "abhishek" of the deity and the distribution of the "charnamrit" among the devotees.

Thousands of devotees paid obeisance to the deities at the Bhagwat Bhavan temple and other temples at the Srikrishna Janmasthan.

Headed by Shailjakant Mishra, the vice-president of the Uttar Pradesh Vraj Tirth Vikas Parishad, state ministers Laxmi Narain Chaudhary and Jaiveer Singh, District Magistrate (DM) Shailendra Singh and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shailesh Kumar Pandey, a procession was taken out from the Srikrishna Janmasthan. It passed through the main streets of Mathura.

Janmashtami was also celebrated at the Dwarkadhish temple, Vrindavan, Govardhan and Nandgaon. "It is invigorating to witness the Janmashtami celebrations in Mathura. One cannot experience this anywhere else," said Bimalendra Mishra, a resident of Lakhimpur Kheri who travelled to Mathura to participate in the festival.

A large number of foreign devotees of Lord Krishna also paid obeisance to the deities at the ISKCON and Radha Damodar temples in Vrindavan. According to Panchagoda Prabhu, the president of the Krishna Balaram temple (ISKCON, Vrindavan), hundreds of devotees from different countries paid obeisance to the temple deity.

Meanwhile, at least 35 "Govindas" involved in the formation of human pyramids as part of the Dahi Handi celebrations were injured in Mumbai, officials said. The Dahi Handi festival is celebrated on the occasion of Janmashtami. As part of the celebrations, "Govindas" or Dahi Handi participants form multi-tiered human pyramids to break earthen pots filled with curd suspended in the air.

"At least 35 Govindas have suffered injuries during the Dahi Handi celebrations in Mumbai. Four of them have been admitted to hospitals -- two each in the civic-run KEM Hospital at Parel in central Mumbai and the Rajawadi Hospital in Ghatkopar," an official said.

Janmashtami celebrations in Delhi's Dwarka incorporated "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" -- the theme of the upcoming G20 summit in the national capital. Union Minister Smriti Irani and BJP general secretary BL Santhosh attended the celebrations.

In view of India's G20 presidency, the Divya Jyoti Jagrati Sansthan (DJJS) celebrated Janmashtami by incorporating the theme of the upcoming summit of the bloc -- "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam" (the entire world is one family) -- according to a statement issued by the organisers. The event was organised on September 6-7 at the DDA ground in Sector 10, Dwarka.

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