LAKSHMI IYER
India Post News Service
FREMONT, California: Janmashtami, the birthday of Lord Krishna, was observed with joyous festivities at the Vedic Dharma Samaj Fremont Hindu Temple August 23.
Astro Vaastu Solutions founder Vaneet Sharma and his wife, Nisha Sharma, who is a realtor, led a troupe of ‘bhajan’ singers from around 7 p.m. Astro Vaastu Solutions is one of Festival of Globe (FOG)’s major sponsors. FOG, that holds a series of cultural events around the year, was founded by India Post publisher, Dr Romesh Japra and it operates under the umbrella of Federation of Indian Association (FIA) of Northern California. Dr. Japra is also the founder of the Fremont Hindu Temple.
During the course of the celebrations, a baby Krishna idol was placed on a cradle decorated with flowers and devotees stood in line patiently waiting to rock it. Manorama Joshi, a senior FOG member and Fremont Temple trustee, personally led the decoration of the cradle. In addition, she had herself washed and draped a basket to carry the infant Krishna at midnight. This ritual is symbolic of when Vasudeva, the biological father of Krishna, carried the newborn to Nanda and Yashoda’s house in Gokul to make him escape from his evil uncle, Kamsa, who was planning to kill the baby after a prophecy that the eighth child of his sister Devaki (Krishna’s mother) would slay him.
Every year, an infant boy does the honors of representing the Lord at the temple. Several children – some dressed up as Lord Krishna in traditional clothes and a crown with a peacock feather – and adults danced and swayed to bhajans.
A special ‘Preeti Bhoj’ and prasad were served to the devotees.
Janmashtami – the eighth day of the waning lunar cycle in the Hindu calendar month of ‘Bhadrapad’ – also happens to be the anniversary of the founding of the Fremont Temple in 1983.
