Vrindavan: In the joy of Kanha's birth, the entire Krishnanagari was colored in the colors of devotion. From midnight till dawn of Shri Krishna Janmashtami, the streets, temples and markets of Vrindavan echoed with the cheers of Kanha. Long queues of devotees were seen outside the temples and wonderful celebrations of Aaradhya's birth anniversary were seen inside. Every devotee had only one desire to witness the birth anniversary of his beloved Shri Banke Bihari and consider himself blessed by getting a glimpse of Sanvare Sarkar.
Thakurji's birth ceremony was performed behind the curtain with Vedic traditions at midnight in Shri Banke Bihari temple. Milk, curd, ghee, honey, sugar, Yamuna water, Kevada-rose water, perfume, Navratna and medicinal liquids were used for the consecration. After the birth ceremony, Thakurji was made to wear a brocade dress studded with precious stones. Paag, Panjiri, dry fruits, fruits and sweets made from milk were offered. The servants also cut a 21 kg mawa cake.
The temple resonated with the silver aarti
The enthusiasm among the devotees for Mangala Aarti was at its peak hours in advance. As soon as the service officer started the aarti with a silver aarti at around 1:55 pm, the temple complex echoed with the cheers of Banke Bihari. The devotees became emotional and immersed themselves in the devotion of Aaradhya. Voices of 'Banke Bihari teri aarti gaun…' started being heard from all sides.
After Mangala Aarti, Thakurji was seated on the silver throne in Jagmohan of the temple. The eyes of the devotees became moist after seeing this supernatural scene. For the devotees, this moment was one of the rarest spiritual experiences of the year.
Special emphasis on safety after the accident
After the accident that occurred during Mangala Aarti in the year 2022, this time too special caution was taken regarding security arrangements. Under the instructions of the High Power Committee, a limited number of devotees were allowed entry inside the temple. Entry passes were issued to 600 devotees for Mangala Aarti. To ensure that crowd pressure does not increase in the temple premises, devotees were allowed entry in a phased manner.
Live broadcast for the first time, devotees standing outside also got darshan
This time, a special arrangement of Mangala Aarti also connected thousands of devotees present outside with the birth anniversary of Aaradhya. For the first time, arrangements for live telecast of Mangala Aarti were made on the initiative of the High Power Committee constituted by the Supreme Court. Due to this, the devotees present in the holding area outside the temple and nearby saw the Mangala Aarti through the screen.
There is a famous saying in Braj- "One who prays for good, should never be poor." Due to this faith, devotees from all over the country reach Vrindavan for the Mangala Aarti of Shri Banke Bihari once a year. For the devotees, it is not just an aarti but also an opportunity to fulfill their spiritual wishes of the year.
Devotees stopped in the holding area, officers took command
Holding areas were created at various places in Vrindavan to avoid crowd pressure and any untoward situation during Mangala Aarti. The devotees were taken forward through the prescribed routes. District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh and Senior Superintendent of Police Shlok Kumar continued touring with the subordinate officers and kept taking stock of the security, traffic and facilities for the devotees.
From the temple premises to the surrounding areas, police and administrative officials were continuously monitoring the arrangements. Along with security arrangements, special attention was also paid to the convenience of the devotees.
Darshan remained open till dawn
Even after Mangala Aarti, the enthusiasm of the devotees did not diminish. There was a continuous crowd of devotees for the darshan of Thakurji. Darshan remained open in Shri Banke Bihari Temple till around five in the morning. On the auspicious occasion of Janmashtami, the devotees looked emotional after seeing their idol. Some had tears of happiness in their eyes while others were seen asking for their wishes from the dark-skinned government with folded hands.
With the birth of Kanha in Vrindavan, it seemed as if the entire Braj danced together. At midnight, bells ringing in the temples, conch shells and resounding cheers kept flowing the stream of devotion to Krishna till dawn, in which thousands of devotees were seen devoting themselves completely.