Janmashtami x3

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Confusion over Janmashtami

from http://www.deccan.com/headlines/lead6.shtml

Hyderabad, Aug. 19: Confusion over the date for celebrating

Janmashtami, the birth of Lord Krishna, has landed Krishna devotees

in a divine mess.

 

While some devotees started celebrating Janmashtami on Tuesday,

others have chosen Wednesday, August 20, the day advocated by the

International Society for Krishna Consciousness. Inexplicably, the

State Government has announced the Janmashtami holiday on yet another

day — Thursday, August 21.

 

A few schools will remain closed on Wednesday, while other schools

and business organisations will follow the State Government's decree

of Thursday to observe and celebrate Janmashtami.

 

Says Vedanta Chaitanya Das of Iskcon, "We have our own astrology

experts based in Sweden. Experts arrive at a conclusive date by

comparing the movements of the constellations with that of the age-

old Vedic calendars," explaining that Iskcon follows the Vaishnava

calendar while others follow the Smartha system.

 

"Devotees who prefer the Smartha system generally go by dates. If we

follow dates, ashtami is the day when Lord Krishna was born, and it

falls on Tuesday. According to the Vaishnava calendar, Janmashtami

falls on Wednesday. The State Government has decided not to follow

any of the above systems and has come up with its own set of dates

which is bound to confuse the ardent Krishna devotee," Das lamented.

 

Iskcon's Radha Krishna temple will be the hub of religious activities

from early Wednesday morning, and Das says he expects over a lakh

devotees to throng the temple premises.

 

But Das confirms the base line is faith: "Irrespective of the date,

every Krishna devotee should make a honest attempt to offer true

prayers to Lord Krishna," he says.