JOIN USTemple town soaks in 3-day Janmashtami celebrations
The ritualistic and spiritualistic three-day Sri Krishna Janmashtami celebrations began with ‘Arghyapradan’ (offering of milk and holy water along with ‘Bilvapatra’) to the clay idol of Lord Sri Krishna at 11.48 pm here inside the sanctum sanctorum of Sri Krishna temple.
The temple town is celebrating the festival for three days - as the first two days would be for the celebrations of Janmashtami owing to differences in the panchangas, held on August 24 and 25. ‘Sri Krishna Leelotsava’ popularly known as ‘Vittlapindi’ or ‘Mosarukudike habba’ will be celebrated on Friday.
The temple town is soaked in the saintly and divine devotion of the most significant festival ‘Sri Krishna Janmashtami’ to celebrate Lord Krishna’s birthday. The devotees thronged to the temple to get a glimpse of Lord Krishna during early hours on Wednesday.
Arghyapradan
Paryaya Pejawar Mutt seers, both - senior Vishwesha Theertha swamiji and junior seer Vishwaprasanna Theertha swamiji - performed the ritual of ‘Arghyapradan’ at 11.48 pm and would be performing the similar ritual at 11.48 pm on Thursday.
The ‘Arghyapradan’ was held at 11.48 pm by the devotees under the guidance of Paryaya seer to mark the birth of Lord Sri Krishna. The presiding deity, Lord Krishna, was decorated in the form of a ‘new born at the prison.’ A large number of devotees, from cowherd community, from in and around Udupi district offered ‘Arghyapradan’ in the sanctorum of the temple. Special pooja was performed at the temple in the midnight after fasting in the day by the seers and devotees.
The entire city and the main car street is decked with flowers and ‘Tulasi’ leaves. Nearly 75,000 laddoos of different varieties, including kadle, laddoo, aralu laddoo, gundittu laddoo and yellu laddoo have been prepared to offer to the devotees on the three-day occasion. Besides, 1.5 lakh chakkulis have also been prepared to be offered to the devotees. Mass dining was arranged for nearly 30,000 devotees on the occasion.
Vittlapindi
The car street is decked with specially erected 15 wooden poles around to hold ‘Sri Krishna Leelotsava’ popularly known as ‘Vittlapindi’ or ‘Mosarukudike habba’. Earthen pots containing saffron and red-coloured water, besides milk and curds, would be hanged on to the wooden poles designed in the form of ‘Gopuras’. Shepherds and devotees dressed like shepherds will attempt to break the earthen pots and get soaked in the liquid contents. Seers of the Ashta Mutts (eight Mutts) will participate in the festivities and a large number of devotees has already arrived to be a part of the celebrations.
The day also marked events such as ‘Muddu Krishna’ competitions, where-in children dressed up like Lord Balakrishna participated. The completion was held for various categories, for different age groups at the Rajangana and Anna Brahma Hall. The famous Tiger Dance artistes performed all over the temple town, adding vibrant hues to the celebrations of ‘Vittlapindi’ or ‘Mosarukudike habba’ celebrated on Friday.
Idol procession
The Lord’s idol, created from clay, would be taken out in the golden palanquin in a procession on the Car Street, before immersing it into the temple pond, ‘Madhwa Sarovara’. Various competitions and cultural programmes are also held to mark the occasion.