Janmashtami 2024 Celebrations at ISKCON Temples: 108 Dishes Offered to Lord Krishna
News Mania Desk/Agnibeena Ghosh/26th August 2024
Shri Krishna Janmashtami, one of the most significant Hindu festivals, is being celebrated across India on Monday, August 26, 2024, with great enthusiasm and devotion. Temples are adorned with vibrant lights and flowers, while the sounds of bells, mridangs, and conch shells resonate, creating a spiritually uplifting atmosphere. The festival marks the birth of Lord Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu, and is observed on the eighth day of the Krishna Paksha in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada, typically in August or September.
For the devotees of ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness), Janmashtami holds special importance. ISKCON temples across the country, including those in Noida, Delhi, Hyderabad, and Vrindavan, have become focal points for grand celebrations. Devotees have flocked to these temples to offer their prayers to Lord Krishna, and the atmosphere is charged with devotion.
The festivities at ISKCON temples began as soon as the doors opened, with thousands of devotees gathering to catch a glimpse of the deity. The celebrations include several significant rituals, such as the ‘Maha Abhishek’ at 9:30 pm and the ‘Maha Arti’ at midnight, which is the highlight of the event. According to Vrajendra Nandan Das, ISKCON’s National Communications Director and VP of the East Of Kailash temple, the turnout is expected to exceed 5 lakh devotees, with people from various countries like America, France, Germany, and Malaysia joining in.
One of the unique aspects of the Janmashtami celebrations at ISKCON is the offering of 108 different dishes to Lord Krishna. These offerings include a diverse array of items such as cakes, pasta, noodles, pizzas, burgers, and muffins. This extensive ‘Chhappan Bhog’ (56-item feast) is prepared with love and devotion, symbolizing the community’s reverence for the deity. Devotees can participate in these celebrations and offer their prayers from 4:30 am until midnight, ensuring ample opportunity to be part of the divine festivities.
In cities like Ahmedabad and Mumbai, ISKCON temples have also seen large gatherings of devotees. Hyderabad’s ISKCON temple, in particular, has witnessed a significant number of visitors coming to offer their prayers and partake in the Janmashtami celebrations. The temple in East of Kailash, Delhi, and the Noida ISKCON temple are also major centers of worship during this time, with hundreds of thousands of visitors expected.
To accommodate the large number of visitors, special arrangements have been made in Noida. Parking spaces near Adobe Chowk have been allocated for devotees, while parking for special invitees is near Noida Haat. Noida police, along with volunteers, have been deployed at the ISKCON temple in Sector 33 to ensure the smooth functioning of the event. Traffic restrictions have been implemented on Maharaja Agrasen Marg to manage the flow of vehicles, with alternative routes provided to ease congestion. CCTV surveillance and fire safety measures are in place to ensure the safety of all attendees.
For those unable to attend in person, ISKCON has made provisions to stream all major events live on social media platforms such as Facebook and YouTube. Senior citizens and pregnant women are advised to participate in the celebrations online to avoid the crowds.
Prominent figures, including Noida MP Mahesh Sharma, MLA Pankaj Singh, and Uttar Pradesh Women’s Commission Chairperson Vimla Batham, are expected to attend the celebrations as chief guests. In preparation for the event, many women devotees have volunteered their time and efforts, contributing to the making of flower garlands, dishes, and adornments for Lord Krishna. The flowers used for the decorations have been specially brought from Vrindavan, and beautiful dresses have been prepared for the deity. The temple has been transformed into a spectacle of colorful lights and floral decorations, creating a visually stunning environment for worship.
The anointment of Lord Krishna will be performed using ‘panchgavya,’ a sacred mixture of milk, curd, honey, ghee, and fruit juices, in accordance with Hindu rituals. Devotees can have darshan of the ‘newborn’ Krishna from 4:30 am to midnight, making Janmashtami 2024 a truly memorable and spiritually enriching experience for all who participate.
