In a sea of 3,500 students, 96 Bal Krishnas add Janmashtami flavour to I-Day fervour
The audience at the Independence Day celebration on Tuesday were up for a surprise — scores of students dressed up like Lord Krishna were lined up in the first two rows in the lawns opposite the main rampart of the Red Fort.
Usually, school children dressed in tricolour are made to sit in formations. However, with Janmashtami — a Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna — coinciding with Independence Day celebrations, Bal Krishnas got the preference this time around.
A reference to this was made by Prime Minister in his speech too. “Today, along with Independence Day, the entire nation is also celebrating the festival of Janmashtami. I can see in front of me Bal Kanhaiyas are present in large numbers,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said at the beginning of his fourth Independence-Day speech.
Dressed in yellow dhoti and kurta with a crown and a flute, Mamta Tiwari from the Government Senior Secondary School, Kinari Bazar, said, “We were asked to become Lord Krishna so that we learn to celebrate the festival of Janmashtami. It’s like celebrating two festivals at the same place and at the same time.”
Officials from the directorate of education (DOE) said they received a circular from the Union ministry of defence (MoD) to incorporate the Janmasthami theme in the formations made by students at the Lal Qila.
“We suggest six-seven themes to the MoD and they approve one. This year, after the theme to make students sit to form tricolor and ‘Bharat’ was finalised, we got a circular from the ministry asking us to also include Janmasthami. It was finally decided that schoolchildren dressed as Bal Krishna will sit in first two rows,” said a directorate of education official.
Ninety-six students from Class 7 and 8 were dressed up as Bal Krishna for Independence Day, with Tuesday’s performance being an outcome of two weeks of dedicated practice by students and teachers, who have been rehearsing at the Lal Qila from July 31.
Sources said at least 3,500 students in total participated at Tuesday’s event who has started dress rehearsals for the event from August 2 when they were supplied with their costumes.
“Students had to assemble at the venue at 5.30 am after which an official used to give a dummy speech till 8.05 am. This gave students an idea about how things would be,” the official said.
Waiting on the Red Fort lawns since 4am, a few students reported feeling nauseous. Sangeeta Ghosh of seventh standard was one such student who vomitted and was about to faint. Her teacher in-charge tried looking for a doctor or first-aid counter, but to no avail.
“Rehersals for this have been going on since July 31 and on all days there was a doctor and an assistant. But, today there is no one,” said Rekha Rai.