As Janmashtami goes virtual, Houston Hindus celebrate in new ways
Drive-thru movies are making a comeback — and even concerts are getting on board to adhere to social-distancing guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic.
So as members of ISKCON — International Society for Krishna Consciousness — prepared for their most sacred day of the year, Janmashtami, the anniversary of Krishna’s birth, Saranga Thakur Dasa wondered: Why don’t we do a drive-thru festival?
Earlier this year, Dasa, a priest and vice president of ISKCON Houston, was optimistic that COVID-19 would be contained and Janmashtami could unfold as usual, with the typical 5,000 to 8,000 attendees.
“We were excited but wanted to be cautious,” he said. Plans were made to reopen ISKCON Houston on June 21. Staff purchased hand sanitizer and thermometer wands to prepare.
“Then the cases started to jump,” Dasa said. “And they kept going up.”
The concept of a safe, drivethru experience made sense.
“If people cannot go in to see the Lord, maybe the Lord can come out for them,” Dasa said.
Minutes after ISKCON Houston posted a link to RSVP, more than 100 families registered. “We were pleasantly surprised,” Dasa said.
The free event begins at 6 p.m. Aug. 11 and continues through midnight at ISKCON Houston, 1320 W. 34th St.
“People can come, dress up, just like they are going to a festival,” Dasa said. “Normally, everyone would drive up and get out to see the Lord.”
This year, ISKCON Houston asks attendees to stay in their cars; the temple will bring the deities and ceremonies outside.
In addition, there will be a livestream for those who prefer to stay home. Viewers can look inside the decorated temple, and His Holiness Romapada Swami will be giving an online discourse.
“They’ll have the full experience — just in a safe mode,” Dasa said. “We’re going to make it as close as possible to the real thing.”
Exclusive Zoom links will enable families to virtually present offerings to Krishna.
Though Janmashtami is central to the Krishna Consciousness movement, the holiday is celebrated by all denominations of Hindus.
Hindus of Greater Houston have hosted 30 years of Janmashtami festivals — bringing various traditions from the city’s temples together, according to the organization’s president, Thara Narasimhan.
“India’s greatness and diversity lies in the fact that every state celebrates Janmashtami in their own unique way,” she said.
In the past, Hindus of Greater Houston held a massive free event at George R. Brown Convention Center, complete with music, dance and Indian cuisine. Recently, the organization decided to move the festivities, alternating among area temples.
Narasimhan has attended the Hindus of Greater Houston Janmashtami since it started in 1990.
This year, the 31st annual festival was to be held at the Vallabh Priti Seva Samaj temple, 11715 Bellfort Village. But COVID-19 is forcing festivities to go virtual. Narasimhan is grateful that technology will make the celebration possible in spite of the pandemic.
And she is looking forward to using technology to continue Hindus of Greater Houston’s most popular Janmashtami tradition: the children’s costume parade. All children are invited to dress up as Krishna or a character from Krishna’s life story and send in videos or photos. Nikunj Zamwar, a senior at Seven Lakes High
School in Katy, volunteered to organize the online effort.
Rasesh Dalal, a longtime member and trustee of VPSS temple and a board adviser of Hindus of Greater Houston, explained that since COVID-19, rituals have continued despite limited attendance.
Instead of members visiting deities in person at the temple, which is an important part of worship, Dalal uses WhatsApp to share daily photos with them.
He said that VPSS was looking forward to hosting the event with Hindus of Greater Houston, expecting 5,000 attendees on its 15-acre campus.
“We will celebrate differently, but we will still celebrate. It’s God’s birth — and that has to be celebrated,” he said.
“I’m personally disappointed,” Dalal said. “People are saying, ‘For my whole life, I have not missed going to this.’ It’s very sad that people will not be able to come, but you have to respect the circumstances.”
Tanglewood resident Avnie Malani plans to celebrate at home with her family.
Last year, her now 20month-old son Kiaan Krish Malani was awarded a prize for the youngest participant in the costume contest at the Hare Krishna temple.
“Usually, we go to the temple, but this year will be different,” Malani said. “We’ll have prayer with the grandparents.”
Continuing to celebrate holidays is important in these turbulent times, she added. “It’s nice just to keep faith and religion and cultural normalcy.”
Sugar Land resident Shradha Bhutada is downsizing the gathering she usually hosts at her home before going to the temple.
“This year, I’ll just do something like that,” she said. “But we want it to be a little more of a celebration for the kids to enjoy.”
Her 9-year-old son, Sahaj, and 2-year-old daughter, Juhi, are past participants in the costume contest, and they look forward to this holiday all year.
“Sahaj is very aware of the pandemic,” she said. “He understands that it won’t be the same as last year. For Juhi, as long as there’s a party, she enjoys it.”
Bhutada hopes that Houston’s Hindu community will continue to honor the holiday in their own ways. “They have to keep it alive — even if we are just celebrating on a small scale, with family and friends,” she said.
Vishnu Ramnarine, president of the Lakshmi Narayan
Mandir in northwest Houston, explained that normally the temple comes alive during Janmashtami with sacred songs, music and rituals to celebrate Krishna. Because of the pandemic, a small number of participants will perform the ceremonies of adoration, or puja. For the first time in the temple’s history, there will be no devotees to observe the holiday in the building.
“Instead, we will connect on Facebook Live,” Ramnarine said.
Members of the Lakshmi Narayan Mandir are Hindus who originally immigrated to Trinidad and Guyana from
India in 1838 to 1917 and then came to the U.S.
“Our culture was never lost,” Ramnarine said.
The temple today is not only a place of worship but also a community center, where traditional music, cuisine and dress are preserved.
He explained that Janmashtami is a festive occasion — and that the story of Krishna’s birth is significant.
The scriptures teach that Lord Krishna was born to end the reign of an evil king who was damaging the Earth. The baby was carried across a river to hide from the ruler, who had imprisoned his parents.
“He comes here when there is a decline in righteousness — and fights evil,” Ramnarine said.
Holding onto hope and justice are timely these days, he added. Lately, he said, the pandemic has given people time to pause, reimagine their priorities, become closer as a family and strengthen their faith.
“Sometimes, we have to step back and start again,” he said. “This is a time to readjust and change direction.”
Ramnarine explained that though observances will be different, this is not a time to despair. He said that God is at work in the health care providers, risking their lives for others and the researchers working to find vaccines and treatments.
“Though the temple is quieter than usual on Aug. 11, 2020, there is profound manifestation of divine reality across the world in the countless acts of caring,” he said.