“An estimated eight to ten lakhs of devotees (800,000 to 1,000,000) visited the ISKCON Sri Sri Radha Rasabihari Temple located in Juhu, Mumbai, during a weeklong festival to participate in the Janmastami festival - one of the largest celebrations of its kind in the world.”

Janmastami in Juhu, Mumbai Attended by Nearly One Million
By Parijata devi dasi

CHAKRA (Mumbai, India) - August 24, 2000: Sri Sri Radha Rasabihari Mandir hosted one of the largest and most splendid Janmastami celebrations in its history between the 19th and 24th of August. An estimated eight to ten lakhs of devotees (800,000 to 1,000,000) visited the ISKCON Sri Sri Radha Rasabihari Temple located in Juhu, Mumbai, during a weeklong festival to participate in the Janmastami festival - one of the largest celebrations of its kind in the world.

The Janmastami 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 fortnight, three months prior to Janmastami, and work sincerely on various aspects of the 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.

© CHAKRA 26-August-2000

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