More than 15,000 devotees celebrated Janmashtami over a two-day period at the BAPS Hindu Mandir in Abu Dhabi.
As part of the two-day celebrations, members of the ISKCON community sang soulful bhajans in the Abhishek Mandap. Dedicated teams of children and youths led the devotional singing with sincerity and grace.
In the evening, children beautifully recited Bhagavad Gita shlokas before the shrine Bhagwan Krishna and Radhaji. Their clear and fluent Sanskrit pronunciations filled the atmosphere with divine vibrations.
In the Janmashtami celebration assembly, more than 500 devotees assembled for Ashtami Puja and thereafter the Krishna Janmotsav with joy and reverence.
The celebrations featured a magnificent annakut, the janmotsav arti and jhula darshan, with the murti of Bhagwan Shri Krishna gracefully seated in a beautifully adorned cradle.
The UAE Bal-Kishore Mandal presented a thought-provoking drama titled ‘Gita Gyan – Yugo Se Yugo Tak’. Based on verses from the Bhagavad Gita, the presentation highlighted how these teachings which guided Arjun on the battlefield, also address modern-day challenges faced by children, youths, and families.
In his address to the assembly, Swami Brahmaviharidas elaborated upon the timeless wisdom from Bhagwan Shri Krishna’s life, “When surrounded by societal darkness, when suffocation weighs upon us, do not despair – for that is precisely the moment when God enters our lives. Bhagwan teaches us that the darker the night, the more powerful even a single candle becomes. Never tire, never fear.
“The Mandir stands today, not merely as a temple of stone, but as a living beacon of harmony and devotion – proclaiming to the world that even in the heart of the desert, faith can blossom into an oasis of peace and unity.”