Patna: Iskcon temple on Budh Marg reverberated with “Hare Krishna” chants as thousands of devotees celebrated Janmashtami with religious fervour and a series of spiritual programmes.The celebrations began early in the morning and continued till late at night. According to the temple management, more than 20,000 devotees attended the celebration. The temple premises were decorated with around eight tonnes of flowers sourced from different parts of the country.Chief minister Samrat Choudhary visited the temple and offered prayers. He reached the third floor, where he performed the ceremonial ‘abhishek’ of Lord Krishna and participated in the traditional ‘jhula’ ceremony.Health minister Nishant also performed the ‘abhishek’ of Radha-Krishna with a conch, while governor Syed Ata Hasnain visited the temple, performed ‘aarti’ and swung Bal Krishna.Extending Janmashtami greetings to the people of Bihar and the country, Choudhary prayed for peace, prosperity and happiness of the state and the country. “On the auspicious occasion of Shri Krishna Janmashtami, I extend my greetings and best wishes to all the people of Bihar and the country. I pray to God that Bihar continues to move forward on the path of development and prosperity and that India becomes developed and strong,” he said.The CM said Lord Krishna’s life continues to inspire people towards truth, righteousness, duty and public welfare. He said the festival conveys a message of love, harmony, brotherhood and positive energy in society.During his visit, the Iskcon temple management committee welcomed Choudhary with an ‘angavastram’ and presented him with a memento. Deputy CM Vijay Kumar Choudhary, legislative council member Nawal Kishore Yadav, other public representatives and members of the temple management committee were also present.The celebrations featured devotional singing, ‘sankirtan’, religious discourses and the midnight birth celebration of Lord Krishna. Devotees also took part in a ceremonial ‘abhishek’ using 108 ‘kalash’ filled with sacred ingredients.A special ‘kirtan’ programme by Iskcon’s Mayapur-based kirtan group had been underway for two days ahead of Janmashtami, with devotees participating in bhajans and other devotional programmes.Security arrangements were strengthened around the temple in view of the large gathering.The temple management has also announced a special programme on Saturday to mark the birth anniversary of Iskcon founder Acharya A C Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. The programme will include readings from his works and discussions on his contribution to spreading Krishna consciousness across the world.
