Today is Janamastami i.e. Birth of Lord Krishna. People in India celebrate this festival with great enthusiasm.
Ø Many people keep a fast on this day, usually a waterless fast until the birth of Lord Krishna at mid night.
Ø They spend the day immersed in Lord Krishna’s glory by reading, reciting and singing HIs divine leela (incidents of life during his incarnation on the earth) especially in the evening in the temples. Temples are decorated beautifully and people visit temples to offer their prayers.
Ø At midnight, the Lord Krishna’s birth hour, a prayer is performed. He is also installed in the form of a child ( in hindi – Laddo Gopal) in a decorated cradle and devotees pay their prayers and offer sumptuous dishes especially ‘Makhan’ (butter) and Mishri (crystal sugar) as Lord Krishna loved this in His childhood which may be seen in may of His pictures with Makhan and Mishri.
Ø After prayer, devotees jubilantly sing and hail Lord’s incarnation in their hymns and devotional songs
This festival is celebrated totally with a devotional feeling towards God having Him in the form of an Infant which means Almighty is not away from human beings at any time. He is delicate like a newly born child…. to get Him, human beings just have to have self realisation and pure heart like God Himself.
In addition to above, in many cities like Mumbai, people take part with great enthusiasm in a game which is called ‘bursting of dashi handi’. In this game, an earthen pot full of curd and butter is hanged high on a rope and children and young boys try to break by making human pyramids. There are competitions and prizes on these events and this year the highest dahi handi is prized for 10 million. This bursting of dahi handi symbolically means exposure and eradication of evil.
This festival is also symbol of harmony and equality in the society and people celebrate this festival with great brotherhood.
Team of Ek Koshish one attempt is also celebrating this festival with great fan fare. Sweets and other gifts have been distributed to the students. Ek Koshish do believe that this year Lord Krishna will burst the dahi handi of corruption. May Lord Krishan bless Anna hazare and entire India to succeed in eradication of deep rooted corruption….
Jai Lord Krishna
EK KOSHISH one attempt