Ahmedabad, Sep 4 (IANS) Gujarat marked Krishna Janmashtami on Friday with large gatherings at temples, special religious programmes and processions across the state, with devotees turning out in significant numbers at prominent pilgrimage centres, including Dwarka and Ahmedabad.
In Dwarka, thousands of devotees visited the Jagat Mandir to mark the festival.
Barricades and other arrangements were put in place by the temple administration and police to regulate the crowd and facilitate smooth darshan.
The celebrations at the Dwarkadhish Temple included special rituals and are scheduled to culminate with the midnight Janmotsav, marking the traditional birth of Lord Krishna.
In Ahmedabad, a large number of devotees gathered at the ISKCON Temple in Bhadraj from the morning for Janmashtami celebrations.
Vadodara’s ISKCON Temple in Gotri was also specially decorated with colourful lights and flowers, with religious programmes and prayers scheduled for devotees.
In Surat, a Shivling made using 2,000 kg of vegetables at Tapti Kubeshwar Mahadev Dham emerged as a major attraction during the festival.
Rajkot witnessed the 41st grand Janmashtami procession organised by the Vishva Hindu Parishad.
The 22-km procession featured colourful floats, including a special Amarnath Shivling tableau mounted on 11 Activa vehicles.
The celebrations came as authorities across the state prepared for large pilgrim gatherings at major religious centres.
Security and crowd-management arrangements were strengthened in Dwarka and Bet Dwarka, while Rajkot also deployed measures, including drones and real-time AI-based crowd management, as part of preparations for the festival.
Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel extended Janmashtami greetings, describing Lord Krishna in his message as a figure associated with love, affection, knowledge, strength, devotion and action.
He referred to Lord Krishna in different roles, including as Yashoda’s beloved child and as Arjuna’s guide and charioteer.
“Lord Krishna represented a way of living life with awareness and enthusiasm rather than being bound by constraints,” the Chief Minister said.
He prayed that homes across the state would be filled with affection and prosperity and that people would continue to contribute to society through selfless service.
Deputy Chief Minister Harsh Sanghavi also greeted people on Janmashtami, sharing a verse about Krishna’s flute and peacock-feather adornment and extending his wishes for the festival.
Janmashtami is being observed across Gujarat on September 4 this year, with devotees observing fasts, participating in devotional programmes and attending temple rituals.
The main celebrations traditionally centre on the midnight worship marking Krishna’s birth.
–IANS
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