Fancy dresses and swings sell like hot cakes in Patna

PATNA: Patnaites are set to celebrate Janmashtami, which marks the birth of Lord Krishna, on Friday. They will not just decorate his idol, but also offer prayers in order to please him.
According to city-based priest Gyan Prakash, devotees perform ‘mahabhishek’ on Janmashtami, as part of which idols of Lord Krishna are bathed with milk, ghee and honey.
“As per Hindu mythology, married women and unmarried girls worship Lord Krishna on this day for prosperity and good luck.They also observe fast for the welfare of their families,” Prakash told this newspaper.
Krishna temples across the city have been illuminated with lights and decorated with flowers.
Boring Road resident Sarita Sinha visits a nearby temple on the occasion of Janmashtami every year. She said, “I worship Lord Krishna for the long life of my son. I also observe fast and eat only after performing puja in the evening.”
Others like Lodipur resident Sudha Kumari prefer celebrating the festival at home. “My sister-in-law and I decorate our house with flowers and install a special swing in the hall on Janmashtami,” she said.
Saguna Mor resident Ruby Verma dresses up her son as Lord Krishna. “I have bought a beautiful yellow dress for my son, which my mother-in-law will decorate,” she said.
Meanwhile, long queues of customers were seen in different city markets on the eve of Janmashtami on Thursday. Owners of makeshift shops, selling Lord Krishna idols and fancy swings, did brisk business.
“The prices of idols and swings depend on their material and size. Regular ones cost anywhere between Rs 50 and Rs 70,” Sikandar Prakash, a vendor at Kadamkuan, said, adding decorative items like jewellery and clothes for Lord Krishna were also in demand.
Those, selling brass idols, are, however, disappointed because they “have not earned much this year”. “Earlier, people preferred brass idols to the ones made of stone, but now they don’t,” said Bharat Kumar, a Bakarganj shopkeeper.
‘Janm Mahotsava’at ISKCON Temple: A ‘Krishna Janm Mahotsava’ will be organised at city’s ISKCON Temple on August 24 and 25.
“The puja and other rituals will be followed by ‘kirtan’ and ‘prasad’ distribution. Cultural programmes will also be organised and devotees from different parts of the world will attend the function,” ISKCON-Patna spokesperson Nand Gopal Das told this newspaper.