Janmatami at ISKCON-Juhu, Mumbai

[Guest guest]

ISKCON - JUHU (SRI SRI RADHA RASABIHARI MANDIR), MUMBAI

CELEBRATES

JANMASTAMI WITH CHIEF MINSITER, CABINET MINISTERS, CORPORATORS, LIFE

MEMBERS, DONORS, WELL-WISHERS AND GENERAL MASSES IN MUMBAI

 

Sri Sri Radha Rasabihari Mandir hosted one of the most grand and splendid

Janmastami celebrations from 19 - 14 August. An estimated eight to ten lakh

devotees of Lord Krishna visited Sri Sri Radha Rasabihari Temple, ISKCON

Juhu, during a week-long festival to participate in the Janmashtami festival

which is one of the largest celebrations of its kind in the world.

 

The Janmashtami evening festivities on Wednesday, 23 August 2000 began with

special dignitaries Honorable Chief Minister of Maharastra State Shri

Vilasrao Deskmukh, Shri Manikrao Thakre (Minister of Maharastra State for

Home), Shri Sunil Tatkare (Minister - Urban Development) and Shri Madhu

Chawan (Chairman MHADA - Cabinet Rank) performing arati and abhishek for

the Lord. The dignitaries were welcomed with chandan, harinam chaddar and

flower garland and also presented with a picture of Sri Sri Radha Rasabihari

and packet of Mahaprasad. The Chief Minister of Maharastra spoke a few words

of appreciation for ISKCON.

 

This was followed by the famous Kalash Abhishek which was performed by

accomplished citizens of Mumbai who shall bathed the Lord from silver Kalash

filled with sacred substances like milk, honey, yogurt, rose water and other

auspicious substances. Shri KripaShankar Singh - Minister of Maharastra

State for Home and Shri M N Singh - Chief Commissionor of Police also

performed Kalash Abhishek for the Lord. The Additional Commissioner of

Police, Deputy Commissioner of Police and many Municipal Corporators also

performed abhishek for the Lord.

 

The festivities on the Janmastami day culminated with a midnight

Maha-Abhishek, Arati and an offering of 108 bhoga items to the Lord.

Thousands of citizens of Mumbai took darshan of the Lord at midnight and

participated in kirtan.

 

ISKCON's over 40,000 donors, life members, special invitees as well as

general citizens of Mumbai were especially invited to have darshan of Sri

Sri Radha Rasabihari in their new exquisitely designed dresses. Special

facilities were arranged for Life Members and Donors that include convenient

darshan, tour through Hare Krishna exhibition and dinner prasadam. Halava

prasad and sherbet was distributed to everyone who visited the temple for

darshan.

 

Preparations for Janmastami festival at Sri Sri Radha Rasabihari temple

began four months prior to the actual festival. This year a special Sri Sri

Radha Rasabihari Festival Committee that comprises of ISKCON donors, life

members and well-wishers who are also accomplished businessmen was formed

to organize, manage and coordinate the Janmastami festival. This Committee

works under the direction of Janmastami Steering Committee (comprising of

various Department Head at the temple) and Sri Sri Radha Rasabihari

Committee which comprises of reputed citizens of Mumbai like Shri D B Gupta

(Chairman, Lupin Labs), Shri B V Bhargava (Chairman, CRISIL), Shri P S

Subramanyan (Chairman, UIT), Shri Venugopal Dhoot (Chairman, Videocon) and

many others. The Committees meet every fortnightly three months prior to

Janmastami and work sincerely on various aspects of Janmastami preparations.

 

ISKCON's Bhaktivedanta Swami Mission School (affiliated to ICSE Board) which

endeavors to inculcate in children a sense of pride and responsibility

towards ancient Vedic culture as well as a high standard of educational

achievement, organized an inter-school children's festival - Bal Utsav 2000

from 1 August 2000. More than 1500 students from various schools in Mumbai

participated in the festival. Competitions were held in the field of sloka

recitation, drawing, dance, devotional singing, cookery, fancy dress, etc.

Mrs Sumitra Mahajan, Minister of State handed over prizes to the finalist

for Development of Women and Children (HRD Dept.)

 

Various programs and functions were held during a weeklong festival at Hare

Krishna Land. ISKCON's cultural wing 'Bhakti Kala Kshetra' featured the

"Radha Krishna Utsav" from 19 - 24 August 2000 at ISKCON Auditorium where

renowned personalities including Shri Hariprasad Chaurasia, Shri Jagjit

Singh, Shri HariOm Sharan, Shri Manhar Udhas, Smt. Hema Malini and many

others performed for the pleasure of the Lord. Also a 'Radha Krishna Pandal

Festival' was arranged from 20 -24 August 2000. It featured bhajans,

spiritual discourses, dramas, audio-visual shows, dance ballets and

sumptuous Krishna prasadam for all.

 

Also, on Thursday, 24 August 2000, devotees at Sri Sri Radha Rasabihari

temple, Juhu celebrated Vyasa-puja of A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada,

founder of ISKCON. As part of morning celebrations disciples of Srila

Prabhupada, temple devotees and well-wisher glorified Srila Prabhupada and

offered pushpanjali, arati and bhoga to Srila Prabhupada. The special

highlights of the celebrations were offering of 1008 bhoga preparations to

Srila Prabhupada by pujaris, congregational devotees and in-house Govinda's

restaurants and also offering of 1008 arati lamps to Srila Prabhupada -

this was sponsored by Shri P L Shethiji who helped Srila Prabhupada in

constructing Sri Sri Radha Rasabihari temple in early seventies.

 

End.