Lalitpur [Nepal], August 19 Devotees thronged Krishna Mandir in Nepal’s Patan Durbar Square in the wee hours of Friday on the occasion of Janmashtami.
Infants dressed as Lord Krishna were the centre of attraction as the nation marked the birth of Lord Krishna, an avatar of Lord Vishnu.According to Hindu mythology, Lord Krishna taught warrior Arjuna, the value of Karma in the Bhagwad Gita. He was born at midnight on the eighth day during the waning or dark phase of the Lunar cycle of August which is known as Ashtami.Known for his charm and fascinating nature, devotees claimed they came up to the temple following the footsteps and directives of Lord Krishna.”I am feeling happy. Lord Krishna was born at midnight. I stayed up till midnight to celebrate the birthday of Lord Krishna. I went to the temple to worship Lord Krishna and took his blessings,” Sharda Devi Joshi, a devotee told ANI.
Apart from devotees turning out in large numbers to the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Kathmandu Valley on Krishna Janmashtami, a number of parents brought their children dressed as Krishna to the temple premises.”It is the religious belief as well as making the child a Krishna on this day way would help us achieve success in our daily work,” Sabin GC, a devotee who brought his son dressed as Krishna to the temple.
Krishna Janmashtami is a festival that commemorates the birth of Krishna who is considered the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu. The festival draws thousands of devotees from the Kathmandu valley to one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites which were once used to house kings before unification sites in Nepal.It was opened after renovation in 2018 as it sustained minor damages due to the devastating earthquake of 2015 which claimed the lives of thousands of people and caused massive structural damage to the heritage sites of the Himalayan Nation.
The 21 gajur (pinnacle) Shikhara Style temple in Patan was built in 1667 during the reign of King Siddhi Narasimha Malla and is one of the most revered Krishna temples in Nepal.
The three-storeyed shrine made up of stones, houses the idols of Radha Krishna and Rukmini on the 1st floor, Lord Shiva on the 2nd floor and Lokeshwor/Machhendranath/Avalokiteshvara on the top floor.
