No Janmashtami celebrations in Mathura Due To Coronavirus Pandemic

Krishna Janmashtami (also known simply as Janmashtami or Gokulashtami) is an annual Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. Krishna is Devaki and Vasudeva's son and his birthday is celebrated by Hindus as Janmashtami, particularly those of the Gaudia Vaishnavism tradition as he is considered the Supreme Personality of Godhead. Krishna is believed to have been born according to Hindu tradition, which is in Mathura, at midnight on the eighth day of Bhadrapada month. Hindus celebrate the auspicious day by fasting, singing, praying together, preparing and sharing special food, night vigils, and visiting Krishna or Vishnu temples. Many communities organize dance-drama events called Rasa Lila or Krishna Lila. The tradition of Rasa Lila is especially popular in the Mathura district, in the north-eastern states of India such as Manipur and Assam, and in parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat. Every year, thousands of devotees come to Mathura (birthplace of Krishna) and participate in celebrations with glory at the famous Janmasthan temple, ISKON temple, and Banke Bihari temple among others. Till now, each year, devotees performed skits, dances depicting Krishna’s life and his teachings along with putting up ‘jhaankis’ which is putting up some structures and showing a series of events that took place in the life of Krishna.

However, this year, the sacred festival is impacted by the Coronavirus pandemic and the accustomed way of celebrating will not take place. Due to the number of infected people crossing the 2 million mark, the temple and district authorities have decided not to let visitors enter Mathura temples. For the unversed, Krishna Janmashtami falls on August 12 this year. According to the reports, entry for all the devotees, coming to Mathura for the holy festival is not permitted from August 10 to the afternoon of August 13. Although people from India and abroad will not be permitted to enter the temples of Mathura, the temple authorities will carry on with performing all the rituals that are being done every year. The authorities will also have to follow COVID-19 safety protocols and maintain social distancing along with wearing masks.

According to Sarvagyaram Mishra, District Magistrate of Mathura, preparations have been done to broadcast all the rituals aptly performed live for devotees across the country. Manager of Banke Bihari temple, Munish Sharma too expressed his concerns over the pandemic and stated that it will not be possible to entertain thousands of people midst of all this, and hence, a public event should be officially banned.