By Hansika Chenna
Janmastami is an annual Hindu festival which celebrates the appearance of Lord Krishna. Embraced by many worldwide, the day includes decorating deities, offering aarati and prayers, reading and recitation of religious texts, dance and enactments of the life of Krishna and devotional singing till midnight (the time of Krishna’s birth).
Occuring on Ashtami (eighth day) of Krishna Paksha (the dark fortnight) in Shravana Masa/Bhadrapada Masa (the fifth/sixth month in the hindu calendar), this auspicious day has been celebrated on the 7th of September this year.
The Hare Krishna Melbourne (ISKCON) Temple had cordially arranged three Janmashtami Celebrations across Melbourne, including one at Werribee Racecourse.
My family and I visited the Werribee event and the celebrations touched our hearts. We were struck with wonder at the beautifully decorated deities of Śrī-Śrī Rādhā-Karunāsiṇdhu. The atmosphere in the area was filled with love and devotion and the entire experience was truly magical.
There was continuous mind-blowing bhajan and kirtan (devotional singing) that kept everyone’s spirits up through the night. The energy and ecstasy experienced is unexplainable and truly noteworthy.
The kirtan was intertwined with a variety of cultural performances by people of all ages and the performances were remarkable. There was also free and delicious dinner prasad!
It truly was an immersive cultural evening highlighting the diverse arts of Indian culture.
