ISKON JANAMASTHAMI

The birth of Lord Shri Krishna is celebrated with huge pompous all across Gujarat. The Lord Sri Krishna established his kingdom in Dwarka, Gujarat and ruled the part of Saurashtra. The birth celebration of Lord Sri Krishna famously known as Janmashtami or Nandotsav. The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) is known colloquially as the Hare Krishna movement or Hare Krishnas, is a Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization. Its core beliefs are based on Hindu ures, particularly the Bhagavad Gita and the Bhagavata Purana. ISKCON was formed to spread the practice of Bhakti yoga, the practice of love of God in which those involved (bhaktas) dedicate their thoughts and actions towards pleasing Lord Krishna, whom they consider the Supreme Lord.The celebrations at ISKCON revolve around the all-encompassing Lord Krishna, and Janmashtami is perhaps the biggest of them all. On this day, ISKCON temple in Vadodara is decorated and devotees come in large numbers to rejoice. The grand festival goes on for the entire day, and besides puja, there are a lot of other activities happening. ISKCON prepares Prasadam for devotees, which is first offered to the Supreme Lord as Bhoga, and then there are games and activities organized for children in some temples. The Deities of Radha Krishna are adorned with beautiful flowers, amazing ornaments, and celebrations of Janmashtami are conducted with love and devotion. On the day of Janmashtami, the temple hall is decorated with beautiful and fragrant flowers and thronged by devotees who are eager to have Darshan of the Lord and serve Him. There are varieties of flowers used for the beautification of the temples, and the festival starts from the early morning. One of the main rituals on this day is the ceremonial bathing of the Lord Krishna, also known as Abhishekam. Both Radha and Krishna, and even Balaram get the ceremonial bathing, and then there is Mangal Aarti and more. Prasadam is distributed among devotees, and as mentioned earlier there are activities going on throughout the day with melodious Kirtan and chanting of the Holy name practically the entire day. At midnight, the Lordships are offered an Aarti yet again, and hundreds of men and women watch with teary eyes, full of love and devotion for the Supreme Lord. The festivities go on until the next day as well. Janmashtami is a grand celebration to commemorate the appearance of Lord Krishna, who is believed to be the Supreme Lord or the Lord of the Lords. It is the celebration of joy, love, and divinity.