Sri Krishna Janmashtami Celebrated with Fervour in Hyderabad
Hyderabad’s temples were packed with devotees on Friday as the city marked Sri Krishna Janmashtami with its usual mix of devotion and festivity. Crowds gathered at ISKCON centres near Sangeeth crossroads in Secunderabad, as well as at Nampally, Attapur, and the Hare Krishna Golden Temple in Banjara Hills, all decked out for the occasion.
Temple staff had clearly planned ahead — queues moved smoothly, and prasadam was handed out to visitors throughout the day. At the Golden Temple, devotees got to see Krishna in several of his forms — Radha Govinda, Godha Krishna, Laddu Gopal, and Makhan Krishna — and many took part in the Jhulan and Unjala Seva rituals for Makhan Krishna, a highlight for regulars at these celebrations.
The day’s rituals kicked off with the Shringara Arati, where the Radha Govinda deities were dressed in fresh silk vestments and jewelry and surrounded by flowers, followed by a special food offering. Priests also performed the Narasimha Homa, a fire ritual meant to invite prosperity and ward off ill fortune. Devotees pitched in to prepare Chappan Bhog — 56 different dishes offered to the deity — before the Raja Bhoga Arati rounded things off around midday.