Thousands Celebrate Krishna Janmashtami with Devotion and Joy

Thousands of devotees gathered at various temples in the holy town to celebrate Krishna Janmashtami. Festivities included 'Mangala Aarti', 'Chhathi Pujan', and 'Abhishek' ceremonies, with devotees chanting, dancing, and participating in rituals. The celebrations in Mathura, Vrindavan, and other locations were marked by joy and devotion.

Thousands of devotees from across the country gathered at Lord Krishna temples in this holy town, as people lined up outside from early hours for Krishna Janmashtami celebrations on Monday.

The Krishna Janmabhoomi temple conducted the 'Mangala Aarti' in the morning, with hundreds in attendance, as the temple premises echoed with chants of 'Jai Jai Shri Radhey' and 'Jai Kanhaiya Lal Ki'.

In Gokul, pilgrims flocked to the Nand Bhavan temple for the 'Chhathi Pujan' programme, informed temple priest Mathura Das.

Himani, a young devotee, expressed her joy, saying, ''I feel really happy here and why not, it's the birthday celebration of Lord Krishna,'' to PTI Videos.

At the Krishna Janmasthan temple, several devotees danced to the sounds of the clarinet and drums accompanied by shlokas and chants on Monday morning. Temple officials said pilgrims received 'Charnamrit' after 'Mangala Aarti'.

Amidst chanting of Vedic hymns and the sound of conches, a procession of priests carried auspicious attire of Radha Krishna and other deities from different temples based at Srikrishna Janmasthan on Sunday evening,'' a temple official shared. Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Adityanath led the Krishna Janmashtami celebrations in Mathura on Monday, offering special prayers to the deities.

He stated in a Hindi post on X, ''Today in the holy city of Mathura, I visited and worshipped the divine and beautiful forms of Yogeshwar Lord Shri Krishna and Shri Radha Rani. May the blessings of Dukhbhanjan, Yashodanandan, Lord Shri Krishna and Shri Radha Ji remain in the entire universe and this world.''

Meanwhile, festivities at the Radha Shyam Sundar temple in Vrindavan began with uninterrupted 'Hari Naam Sankirtan' in the morning, continuing till 2 AM, according to temple Mahant Krishna Gopalanand Deo Prabhupaad.

Bhakti, a young girl, told PTI Videos that some devotees had been waiting in the queue since 4 AM for the 'darshan' of the deities. ''I am very excited for the festival. The 'poshaak' (dresses) of the deities look extremely beautiful,'' she added.

At the Dwarkadhish temple, Janmastami began with melodious sounds of flute, clarinet, and mini drums. ''Thousands participated in the morning 'Abhishek' ceremony at the temple,'' said temple spokesperson Rakesh Tewari, adding that devotees usually begin their fast after taking 'Charnamrit' of the deity.

The bathing ceremony of the deity was also performed at Mathura's Old Keshav Dev temple, Govardhan's Daan Ghati temple, Chaurasi Khamba Mahaban, and Radha Shyam Sundar temple in Vrindavan.

''I feel so good here and do not feel like going anywhere else. Seeing the idols of the god, I feel blessed. The way Lord Krishna and Radha Rani have been dressed up, it looks beautiful and as if God himself has appeared to give darshan to devotees,'' a middle-aged woman devotee told PTI Videos.

Pilgrims performed the circumambulation of the Govardhan hill, considered a good omen for the festival, said Daan Ghati temple's priest Mathura Prasad Kaushik. District Magistrate Shailendra Singh noted that Mathura had been decked up for the occasion, with decorations at key road crossings and along the streets. ''There has been no untoward incident so far,'' he added.

(With inputs from agencies.)