Janmastami Mahotsav at ISKCON Baroda

September 4, 2003

A brief report on the Janmastami festival at ISKCON Baroda

Crowds started gathering in a half-kilometer line for darshan of Sri Sri Radha Shyamsundar here at ISKCON Baroda at around 4:30 PM. The line was a continuous crowd of people until midnight.

We estimate that two to three hundred thousand people had darshan of the Deities. This comes to between 10 and 15 percent of the population of Baroda, and almost as many people came the next day for darshan. This was the first time in the four years since the inauguration of the new temple that so many people came on both days.

It's worth a mention that this year, security was heavily increased by the local police authorities. All visitors had to pass through one of three metal detectors installed at both the main entrance to the mandir and on the special entrance for life members on the side of the mandir. Besides local police, the state reserve police (SRP) were posted here in large numbers.

On Janmastami day, every visitor got a peda (sweet) and banana prasad. Also, maakhan and misri — butter and sugar candy — were distributed. After midnight, there was traditional distribution to everyone of panjiri (traditional in Gujarat: a sweet powder made from sugar and coriander powder) and charanamritam from the abhishek.

Also, there was a very simple IYF exhibition, three book stalls, a sweets stall, donation booths, and a laddu sales counter. Our snack shop and cold-drink shops all did brisk business throughout the day and up to one o'clock in the morning.

There was special lighting on top of the mandir, in the garden both in front and in back of the mandir, on trees, bushes, and so on. A shennai band played continuously at the main gate of the mandir.

On Janmastami day, on a stage on the one-acre Hare Krishna Garden behind the mandir, several cultural programs were presented for the public. They included dance, drama, and a bhajan sandhya (evening of bhajans) by local artist.

The visitors to the temple would have darshan, take prasad, and then either visit the cultural program or browse through the various booths.

At midnight, there was a mob in the temple to witness the grand panchamrita abhishek of Sri Sri Radha Shyamsundar. The security guards had a hard time restraining the crowds, who were eager to have a glimpse of the ceremony. The limited space in front of the three altars — about 3000 sq. ft.— was inadequate to accommodate all those who wanted to see the abhishek.

On Vyasa Puja day there were two separate massive prasad-distribution programs. The first was for life members in the morning, and the second for the general public in the evening.

In the morning, just after Shraddhanjali and Pushpanjali offerings to Srila Prabhupada, around eight thousand life members and their families took full prasad in the Hare Krishna Garden behind the temple. Again in the evening, we estimate that 15 to 20 thousand people took prasad. The prasad was puri, chole (Punjabi-style spicy chick peas), halava in pure ghee (not in vegetable shortening), kadi (spicy creamed yogurt soup), rice, and salad. For the life members in the morning there was chick-pea burfi (mohan taal) instead of halava and there was a special thick mung dal.

Again there was a bhajan sandhya program by Srimati Manju Bhatia and her party from Bombay. She performed at ISKCON Moscow on Janmastami two years ago, and she has toured and performed at several ISKCON temples in the USA too.

By the mercy of Sri Sri Radha Shyamsundar, a donor came forward to sponsor both of these feasts as well as the new dresses for Their Lordships. He donated more than Rs. four lakhs (rupees 400,000 = US$ 8,500.00 or so) just for these aspects of the program.

Hare Krishna!

December 13, 2004

I was in baroda for janamashtmi 2004. it was excellent and the queue was very long even at around 1.30am or so. The Deities looked excellent. If anyone is in baroda please do visit the temple its amazing. Gotri Road, Baroda. Hari Haribol.