Festival for Lord Sri Krishna
THE International Society for Krishna Consciousness will host a four-day festival in celebration of Sri Krishna Janmastami (the appearance of Lord Sri Krishna) at the Hare Krishna Temple in Chatsworth from Saturday to Tuesday.
Festivities will begin with free vegetarian meals distributed at the Bangladesh Market in Chatsworth and The Workshop in the Durban CBD on Saturday.
A peace parade from the Sri Vishnu Temple at 10.30am will culminate at the Hare Krishna Temple at 1.30pm – both in Chatsworth – on Sunday. There will also be a special Krishna’s birthday party for children at 2pm.
On the auspicious day of Sri Krishna Janmastami on Monday, the temple grounds will be turned into a tent city for hundreds of pupils, who will attend a cultural entertainment and educational programme.
The main observance is the midnight arati (worship) when the deities of Sri Sri Radha Radhanath will be adorned with new garments and worshipped with traditional paraphernalia.
There will be an abundance of activities leading up to the midnight observance. A stage show featuring local and international artists will take place in the main arena. The Bhakti Theatre will perform a drama titled Draupadi in the temple amphitheatre at 7.30pm. The performance will bring alive an ancient pastime from the Vedic literature.
On Tuesday is the Vyasa-puja festival of His Divine Grace AC Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, the founder of ISKCON. All are welcome.