Sri Krishna Janmashtmi was celebrated on 24th August at ISKCON, Ludhiana, India. 1008 different food preperations were offered to Their Lordships. This year all devotees who came to see the Deities got the opportunity to participate in the bathing ceremony, although they needed to wait for over an hour in the long queue.

It took about ten days to make the huge waterproof tent that the celebration was held in. Three stages were set up: one for Abhishek, another for the altar of Sri Sri Jagannath, Baladev and Subhadra and a third for Kirtana. Altars of Their Lordships were beautifully decorated with flowers. The school children performed drama and dance focusing on pastimes of Lord Krishna and a melodious kirtana was offered by devotees of Ludhiana, Delhi and Sri Vrindavan Dham.

Another tent was set up by the congregation’s devotees to teach the chanting of Hare Krishna Mahamantra on beads. About 15,000 people participated in these Japa meditation workshops, and many expressed the desire to visit the temple to learn more about bhakti yoga.

At midnight a Maha Abhishek (great bathing ceremony) of Krishna was held by temple devotees.

His Grace Vidurpriya Das, Co-Temple President, then explained to the attendees that saintly people and demigods pray for a birth in the age of Kali because in this fallen age of Kali it is possible to back to Godhead simply by the chanting of the Holy Names of Krishna. This is the Supreme gift of Lord Chaitanya, who out of his causeless mercy appears in this world to freely distribute the love of Krishna to people who do not know Krishna. By his loving chanting of the Mahamantra He awakened the sleeping souls in bodies of men, women and animals alike.

Later prasadam (sanctified food) was distributed to all the devotees.