With The Advent of Shravan Maas Begins the Festival Season
Teej celebration was organised by the Jindal family at the Mahavirji Temple on the 19th of August from 4 to 6 pm. The Krishna mandir, the entrances of Shiv mandir and Ram mandir were bedecked with flowers. The seating arrangements were made by the temple authorities. About a hundred ladies (mostly from N and W blocks of GK 1) attended the Shravan bhajan sandhya. Most of them came dressed in green as the colour is associated with the monsoon season. Thet were greeted with Tikka and mauli. Green colored glass bangles were distributed as Sindhara. The gorgeous ladies sang Krishna bhajans and danced away for two hours. The function culminated in aarti followed by distribution of Prasad consisting of kachori, samosa, idli, dhokla, kalakand and coca cola.
Rakshabandhan was celebrated on the 30 Aug. It is not a community function though; it is celebrated within families in their homes. It signifies sibling bond. Traditionally, sisters tie raakhi to their brothers but this year a new trend seems to have emerged wherein sisters (especially the ones who do not have brothers) tied raakhi to each other, celebrating the sibling bond.
Krishna Janmashtami falls a week after Rakshabandhan. Shashi Bhandari of Jai Mata Di group, N block, GK I, celebrated Krishna janam on the 5 Aug at her beautifully decorated house. She invited the entire Jai Mata Di group. These ladies sang and danced from 4 to 6pm to celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna. Her house was beautifully decorated with balloons to welcome baby Krishna. Some of the devotees brought offerings of sweets, fruits and toffees. She distributed all the offerings along with Rs 20 currency notes and showered each one with flower petals. The evening ended with a badhai bhajan and Krishna aarti. All the ladies were handed a box of rasgullas at the time of leaving.
Krishna Janmashtami was celebrated in the Mahavirji Temple on the 7th September. The temple was decorated with flowers and red and green fabrics. Beautiful tableaus depicted the life of Lord Krishna.
A large number of people visited the temple throughout the day.
Bhajans were sung by a Sufi group in the main lawn.
Meenakshi Lekhi, minister of State for External Affairs and Culture of India, visited the mandir at 9pm.
The number of devotees swelled as the evening progressed towards midnight when Krishna snan and aarti was performed by the temple priests.
Prasad of sweets, fruits, choorma and maakhan-mishri were distributed to all.
Krishna chatti (sixth day of birth) will be celebrated on the 12 Sep.
Radhashtami falls two weeks after Janmashtami. It will be celebrated on the 23 Sep.
