Mathura: The festival of Krishna Janmashtami will be celebrated all over the country including Braj on 12 August, while it will be held a day before in Nandgaon, where according to mythological beliefs, Lord Krishna’s childhood was spent. Despite celebrating the festival of Sri Krishna Janmashtami with great pomp in the temples of Braj, it will not be made public this time due to the Coronavirus crisis. Special offerings will be distributed to the devotees in temples like Shri Krishna’s birthplace. The tradition of distributing ‘Khushi ke Laddoos’ which has been going on for hundreds of years in Nandgaon will also not be practiced.
According to scholars, the festival of Janmashtami is celebrated according to the Vaishnavas as the sunrise occurs on the Ashtami date of Bhadrapada month, but in Nandgaon, the practice of celebrating Janmashtami is on the eighth day from the full moon day of Shravan month. The preparations for the festivities have started in all the temples of Braj and the temples are being decorated. Kapil Sharma, secretary of Shri Krishna Janmasthana Seva Sansthan, said that Janmashtami will be celebrated on 12 August at Shri Krishna Janmasthana. Here, Tha. Dwarkadhish Temple, Vrindavan’s Tha. Krishna Janmashtami festival will also be celebrated on 12 August in Bankebihari temple.
Such information has been given by media in-charge and managers of temples. “Sri Krishna Janmashtami festival in Nandgaon will be celebrated as per tradition on August 11,” said Mukesh Goswami of Nandababa temple, situated on a six hundred feet high Nandeshwar hill in Nandgaon, about 55 km from the district headquarters. He told that from the full moon itself the season of the births of Krishna has started. ” He said that according to the rules of Kovid-19, local and external devotees will not be allowed to enter the temple except for the services in the temple.
