Janmashtami celebration with N.L. Dalmia High School students.

NICE (Narasimha Institute for Children Education), an educational arm of ISKCON Mira Road, celebrated Sri Krishna Janmashtami in three area schools.

NICE has over 50 teachers who conduct Bhagavad-gita classes each week in their residences. They also conduct value education classes and Bhagavad-gita classes in different private schools around Mumbai.

For this special Janmashtami outreach, the NICE Team met with local school leaders in June, and announcements of the upcoming visits were shared with students. Interested students registered their names to participate in dance, drama performances, group recitations, and other activities. Excited students rehearsed after school hours and during the weekends to prepare while the schools prepared the spaces for the events to be held.

Kapol Vidyanidhi International School (ICSE board) held its celebration on August 15th (Independence Day), with 30 students participating. Vijaysarvada Dasi, Rohini Sumukhi Dasi, Bhaktin Pallavi, Bhaktin Radhika, and Bhaktin Dhriti guided them weekly in their training.

N.L. Dalmia High School (ICSE board) celebrated on August 25th, with 54 students participating in the initiative. They were trained weekly and guided by Lakshmi Preyasi Dasi, Poonam Dasi, Sharayu Dasi, Renuka Dasi, Kripamayi Dasi, Param Vaishnavi Dasi, Bhaktin Vaishnavi, and Bhaktin Siddhi.

Shailendra Education Society celebrated on August 26th with 20 students joining in the celebrations. They were trained weekly and guided by Bhaktin Rekha Rao, Padma Kumari Dasi, Bhaktin Vinisha, Bhaktin Manisha, Bhaktin Twinkle, and Jyothi Krishna Dasi.

On the day of the events, Kamala Lochan Das, Temple president of ISKCON Mira Road, addressed the students, parents, and teachers on the “Importance of Spiritual Cultural Performances,” stressing how performing these dramas has a profound impact on the character of the students, inspiring them to remember the Supreme Lord and His pastimes through these performances.

The joy of the students was palpable as each program concluded with the distribution of BBT Krishna photos as gifts to all the staff and students.