Radio Brisvaani
Brisbane’s largest Janmastami festival is all set to be hosted on 24th August by the Hare Krishna community at the Croatian Community Centre in Rocklea.
This year’s Janmastami celebrations are likely to witness plays, live music and dance programmes. The guests at the festival will also be able to experience the cuisine of India, shop from the bazaar, and keep children entertained with fun and engaging activities.
Since August 24 is the weekend, the organisers are hoping to attract more than 3000 people at the festival throughout the night at the Croatian Community Centre, which is the new venue with a larger capacity to accommodate guests.
“Since it’s a Saturday, we expect a record number of people to stay until the midnight arati ceremony – celebrating the exact time of Lord Krishna’s birth,” said festival organiser Rohan Sheth. “With the new venue, and years of experience, we’ve started working earlier to make this festival even bigger and better than previous years.”
Janmastami, which is organised by the Hare Krishna community in Brisbane, has been headed and organised for more than five years by the youths of the society. They are instrumental in bringing innovation and dynamism to this traditional event, making it fun and appealing for people of all ages. From the decor, to the stage programme, and even the different engaging activities, all aspects of the festival have a unique flavour.
The festival is slated to begin at 5pm on August 24 and go on till midnight, which is the exact time of the birth of Lord Krishna in whose honour this festival is celebrated. The stage programme will comprise live music, arati ceremonies, the abhishek (ceremonious bathing of the Lords), plays and spiritual discourses.
Guests at the festival can check out the many stalls on offer, grab a sumptuous bite or watch their children engage in various fun-filled activities at the kids stall.
“We’ve really tried hard to keep making the festival better than previous years. We want it to be an event that everyone looks forward to – not something that people are dragged along to come because of cultural obligations,” said Jalaj Guwalani, who has co-organised the festival for more than three years in a row. “And we’ve begun to see that over the past few years, with increasing numbers and more people attending the festival for longer periods of time, guests are engaged with each aspect of the festival – and it’s great to see their enthusiasm and appreciation for the whole event.”
