Mathura, Vrindavan ready for Janmashtami festivities

Agra : A large number of Hindus devotees are gathering at Vrindavan and Mathura on the occasion of “Janmashtami”, the birthday of Lord Krishna on Wednesday.

Vrindavan , in the Mathura District of Uttar Pradesh, is about 15 kilometres away from Mathura city.

All Krishna temples are being decorated, with ardent devotees visiting the main temples

People in Vrindavan have been busy for the last many days preparing special dress and ornaments to be sent to far off places. They have been receiving orders from abroad too.

Minnilal Sharma, a dress-designing artist, said: “Ahead of Janmashtami master dress designers or artists are engaged to attend to the orders from abroad. It remains the busiest time of the year for us.”

Amidst preparations, the echoes of religious hymns and chants of Mahamantra-Hare Rama Hare Krishna-have filled the air.

Vrindavan is visited by a large number of pilgrims throughout the year by devotees who profess a number of religious traditions such as Gaudiya Vaishnavism and Vaishnavism, and Hinduism in general.

The place houses around 5,000 temples many of them centuries old.

In Mathura, there is a high demand for colourful, little-sized dresses for Lord Krishna idols, as devotees like dressing up idols with embroidered colourful dresses and ornaments.

Krishna is said to have spent a long time in Rasleela (fun n frolic) activities with His beloved Radha and Gopis (cowherd girls) as a friend.

Jagdish Sharma, a local resident, said: “We, the Brijwasis (or, people of Brij region) consider Krishna, a friend and a child. This is the main difference between “Janmashtami” being celebrated here.”

Sharma said: “On Krishna’s birthday, we bathe him, decorate him and adorn hi statutes with beautiful jewels and new clothes like a child of our family. That’s why everyone here is busy making Radha-Krishna idols and clothes to adorn them.”

Many artists prepare Krishna idols of different materials and swings (used for a newborn to sleep).

Popular artist Vishnu Prasad is adept at preparing alloy idols of Krishna, prepares “Ladoo Gopal”, the child Krishna who relishes sweets. He prepares only alloy idols of Krishna through out the year.

Vishnu Prasad says: For me the ability to prepare Shri Krishna’s statue as “Ladoo Gopal” is that ultimate joy what I feel is nothing less than Lord’s special blessing on me.”