Aligarh witnessed the culmination of Shri Krishna Janmashtami celebrations on Friday night, with devotees observing fasts and performing prayers throughout the day before gathering at temples for the midnight birth celebration. Around midnight, conch shells, bells and gongs sounded across the city as devotees chanted “Nand ke ghar anand bhayo,” “Jai Kanhaiya Lal Ki” and “Hathi ghoda palki, Jai Kanhaiya Lal Ki.”
Devotees at temples offered prayers after having darshan of Lord Krishna in his child form and prayed for happiness and prosperity. Preparations for Janmashtami had been underway in Aligarh for several days. Major temples were decorated with flowers, colourful lights and other decorations, while families prepared special tableaux for Bal Gopal at home.
Children participated in the celebrations by dressing up as Krishna and Radha. Some tableaux depicted child Krishna stealing butter, while others showed Laddu Gopal sitting in Yashoda’s lap.
Special arrangements were made at Shri Varshney Temple for Janmashtami. The temple was decorated with multicoloured lights, flowers and saffron flags. The child form of Bal Gopal, seated in a flower bungalow, attracted devotees.
A special milk abhishek was arranged at midnight at the time of Lord Krishna’s birth. After the birth celebration, devotees also witnessed the depiction of Vasudeva carrying Kanhaiya in a basket across the Yamuna to Nand Baba’s house.
The ISKCON Gita Gyan Temple in Harduaganj, Aligarh, also hosted a special Janmashtami programme. The temple was decorated with flowers, and devotees from distant areas arrived for darshan of the grand depiction of Shri Krishna and Arjuna.
The birth of Lord Krishna was celebrated at midnight, with devotees participating in bhajans and kirtans and offering their prayers on the occasion.
Chetan Ashram in Sanjay Gandhi Nagar also organised Janmashtami celebrations. A tableau featuring Lord Krishna along with Baba Barfani was displayed at the ashram.
Tableaux depicting butter theft and Krishna’s childhood activities attracted devotees. Those visiting the ashram on Janmashtami had darshan of the child form of Lord Krishna and offered prayers to mark the birth celebration.
Religious programmes began at other major temples across Aligarh from the morning. Devotees observed fasts, while the number of visitors to temples increased towards the evening. Amid bhajans, kirtans and religious songs, devotees waited for the midnight birth celebration.
At homes, families decorated swings for Bal Gopal, dressed the deity in new clothes and kept पूजा सामग्री ready for the rituals.
At midnight, the announcement of Lord Krishna’s birth was followed by special aarti at temples. At several places, the child form of the deity was bathed with panchamrit and milk before being dressed in new clothes, a crown, peacock feathers and jewellery. Devotees offered makhan-mishri, fruits and other prasad, which was distributed after the birth celebration.
Across the country, the tradition of abhishek, shringar, aarti and bhog following the midnight birth of Lord Krishna was observed on Janmashtami.
According to the panchang, the combination of Ashtami Tithi of the Krishna Paksha of Bhadrapada and Rohini Nakshatra occurred on September 4. The Ashtami Tithi was reported to continue until 12:13 am on the night of September 4, while the Krishna birth celebration was observed during Nishith Kaal. Devotees therefore showed particular enthusiasm for the midnight celebrations.
Markets in Aligarh had become busier ahead of Janmashtami. Shops selling Laddu Gopal idols, clothes, crowns, peacock feathers, flutes, swings and पूजा सामग्री saw crowds of shoppers.
There was also demand for Krishna and Radha costumes for children. Several families prepared to celebrate the birth at home by setting up tableaux for Kanhaiya. Religious programmes were also organised in colonies and neighbourhoods along with temple celebrations.
The administration and police made special arrangements for traffic management during the festival. In view of the expected crowds and increased movement around temples, traffic diversions for heavy vehicles were implemented from evening until night.
In Aligarh, restrictions on the entry of heavy vehicles and route diversions were arranged from 4 pm on September 4 until 2 am to keep traffic moving on key roads during the Janmashtami celebrations.
The religious celebrations continued late into the night, with devotional songs heard around temples. Devotees joined aarti after Lord Krishna’s birth and rocked Bal Gopal in swings. Women sang traditional congratulatory songs at several locations, while people exchanged Janmashtami greetings.
The festival also featured tableaux, bhajans, kirtans and collective worship across the city. At homes, children were told about Krishna’s childhood activities, while children at several places participated in celebrations dressed as Kanhaiya.
With Krishna’s birth at midnight, devotees across Aligarh offered prayers for the happiness, peace and prosperity of their families. Temple aartis were accompanied by chants, conch-shell sounds and bells as devotees marked the birth celebration.
After observing fasts throughout the day, devotees attended the midnight darshan of Kanhaiya and performed prayers. From temples to homes, Bal Gopal was worshipped, with chants of “Nand ke ghar anand bhayo” and “Jai Kanhaiya Lal Ki” heard during the celebrations.
