Janmashtami

The “Maruthi-Gypsy” came strolling when the clock struck ten pm in the night to pick us up from our homes. Well oen might wonder what it could be that would start as late as ten in the night. Well it was the eve of Krishna Janmashtami. Janmashtami is the day of the birth of lord Krishna and is an occasion of vibrant celebrations across the Indian subcontinent and beyond, it falls on the eighth day of the second fortnight, in the month of Sravana when, the moon entered the house of Vrishabha in Rohini Nakshatra (star); and is a national holiday. Krishna Janmashtami is celebrated with more vigour in the north than in the south of India. The celebrations start on the eve of Janmashtami , it is also believed that the lord was born when the clock struck twelve in the night.

In our unit the bhajans had started well ahead of the pooja which was scheduled at twelve. All the folks of the unit were singing in ecstasy and merriment as the chanted “Radhe Krishna” “Radhe Krishna” throughout the night. It was as dark as coal when we had arrived thanks to the generator which also gave away but soon the power came and there was light. The men at the bhajan sat out and the women were seated in the mandir; the officers and their ladies also took their places there.

Inside the mandir were fully bedecked idols of Radha and Krishna and also another baby Krishna in the cradle. Just some thirty minutes before the midnight all the frantic singing came to cease giving way to the prayer service. I thought the prayer service was most beautifully begun with the opening address from the Maulwee sahib, and he opened with quotes from the holy Quoran and stated that Allah sends messengers like Mohammed, Jesu, Krishna to bring people to the path of righteousness and to establish the same in the society.

The Punditji then took over from the Maulwee sahib, he read parables from the Gita and quoted from the conversations between the almighty driver Lord Krishna and the driven Arjuna. Where the mportance of doing ones own duty is emphasized, that duty should be done even if their own kith and kin stand in its way.

As the message from Gita was extensively explained the clock struck twelve, and as it did the conch was blown proclaiming the Lords birth and then followed by an arthi and rocking the infant Lord’s cradle. We all received our prasadas after the pooja and it was the time for the bhajans to start off again with full energy, fuller zest and the fullest joy.

It was definitely a special moment in my life, the south Indian that I am, I had never witnessed Krishnashtami celebrated with such pomp. The singing continued the rest of the night into the whole of the following day, while we left to homes to our beds. I could still hear loud bhajans from the adjoining ISKON temple after I reached my home. The celebrations lasted for two days with never ceasing bajhans of un-diminishing passion, with the chants of “Hari Bol”. You could feel the Lord in the air everywhere you look around as “Radhe Krishna” reverberated all over.

The following day all of us had our respective poojas at home. And Navneeth join me from Makhwal, he had his day off for Janmashtami (Thank god!). The Celebrations reminded me of my Christmas in Emden with the Vogeses, Paul, Robert. I had attended the Christmas eve mass and the celebrations followed till the next day, these memories came over to my mind so naturally. Great celebration it was and now yet again. Just fell more in love with the God of love. Hari Bol!