The premises of ISKCON temple at Sagarnagar wore a festive look as children and elders thronged the venue to take part in a plenty of activities organised as part of Janmashtami celebrations.
An array of interesting games such as ‘Utlotsavam’ for various age groups turned out to be a major attraction as water was splashed on the participants when they were trying hard to break the butter-pot tied above.
Apart from facilitating the hassle-free darshan, the celebrations started at 4:30 a.m. and continued until the midnight as devotees arrived in droves to take part in several programmes lined up for the occasion.
Rituals galore
Clad in traditional attire, tiny tots turned up as Lord Krishna and Gopikas to impress the judges at the fancy dress competition. From ‘mangalarati’ to ‘akhand Harinama sankirtan’ and solo, group dance contests, the events attracted people of all age groups.
Meanwhile, a number of devotional activities was organised by Hare Krishna Movement at Alwardas Grounds. Cultural programmes, ‘Harinama japa’ and ‘mahaabhishekam’ formed a part of the second day of the celebrations at the grounds that lasted until the midnight.
Several schools in the city came alive with celebrations. At NAD Kotha Road, Ramakrishna School celebrated Janmashtami with several programmes. Skit, ‘Krishna Leela’, ‘Utti Sambaralu’, fancy dress event, music and dance were organised.
Schools come alive
Anuraag Montessori School, run by East Coast Railway Women’s Welfare Organisation (ECoRWWO), Visakhapatnam celebrated the festival with fervour. Vice-president of ECoRWWO, Usha Rao attended the programme, along with secretary Madhuri Kashipathi and other members. Students put up an impressive dance performance, depicting a part of Lord Krishna’s life.
Portraying the scenes from the Mahabharatha, students of Sri Krishna Vidya Mandir, Dwarakanagar enthralled the audience with a cultural show. Followed by ‘Krishna puja’, the show was centred on ‘Usha and Anirudh parinayam’ and Lord Krishna’s birth, among other themes.