Tirupati: Temple city gears up for Krishnashtami celebrations
A woman selecting suitable dress at a shop for her son to don Little Krishna role in Tirupati
Tirupati: Pilgrim city geared up for Krishnashtami celebrations though on a subdued note following Covid restrictions. The preparations for the festival have begun on Sunday as Krishnashtami falls on Monday. As there were no grand celebrations at temples this year as well, people have been preparing to perform formal puja rituals at their homes.
Normally people throng to the famous Sri Krishna Lotus temple of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) to worship the Lord on his birth anniversary celebrations. However, due to Covid pandemic, the religious fervour could be seen on a low note as people were not allowed to visit the temples last year.
Though the case load is somewhat lower now, the Covid restrictions are continuing which will not permit the devotees to visit the temples during the day. Following this, ISKCON management has planned to provide online darshan leaving the services of 'Radha Govinda Astha Sakhi' by the allotted devotees only.
The temple authorities have appealed to the devotees to participate in the celebrations online which will be live telecasted through ISKCON Tirupati YouTube channel. However, the temple has been well decorated to mark the celebrations and there will be a special darshan of Lord Srikrishna and his consorts on Monday.
Some other temples like Venugopala Swamy mandir near Palani theatre and others will provide limited darshan to the devotees. These temples are also being decorated tastefully. People were seen buying flowers, fruits and other material on Sunday to perform puja rituals with pomp and gaiety at their homes. The prices of flowers and fruits have surged upwards following the increase in demand.
Several parents have been eagerly waiting to make their children don the 'Little Krishna' avatar. A mother commented that she loves to see her five-year son in Sri Krishna attire as the moments will be cherished for long. It was the practice of several schools to conduct fancy dress competitions for children which has been missing since last year due to the pandemic.