City braces for Janmashtami

Manav Mander

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Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, August 24

Preparations are in full swing to celebrate the birth of “natkhat bal gopal” in the city temples and households.

Temples have been decorated with lights and flowers, devotees are also busy preparing for Janmashtami at homes, while sweetmeat shops are dishing out special delicacies to mark the occasion.

Markets are flooded with Krishna idols in all shapes and sizes and other decorative items. Beautifully decorated cradles for Lord Krishna in different shapes and sizes are the main attraction and from stone-studded ‘mukut’ (tiara) and flutes to bright zari dresses, the choice is endless.

Shopkeepers are doing brisk business as devotees throng market to buy things needed to celebrate the festival.

A shopkeeper on Dandi Swami Road near Sidh Peeth mandir said ardent devotees of Lord Krishna set up “Jhula” at their homes and were buying necessary stuff. Tableaux depicting the birth of Lord Krishna are also in great demand, he said.

Meanwhile, sweetmeat shop owners are busy dishing out special delicacies to mark the occasion. Makeshift shops have come up outside temples and have started preparing “jalebis” for the occasion.

Milk sweets such as rabri, kheer, peda, kalakand are some of the favourite sweet items of Lord Krishna. Apart from these, traditional milk sweets, laddoo, badusha, sil ke laddoo, coconut laddoo, khoya and pista burfi are being prepared by local sweetmeat shops to mark the occasion.

Harish, who has set up a makeshift shop outside Krishna Mandir at Model Town Extension, said he would be preparing jalebis and sevaiyan for the occasion.

“The actual celebrations start around midnight so I am expecting a very busy day ahead and hoping to earn some quick bucks,” he said.

“My kids are enthusiastic about setting up tableau and a Krishan Jhula at home. We are decorating the Puja room with colourful lights and a jhula with small idol of Lord Krishna will be placed in the centre. A special puja is performed at night and after that Prasad is distributed to everyone,” said Santosh, a homemaker.