Janamashtami 2013

First set of prayers go up...

Lord Krishna was born last night, at the stroke of 12. So half the nation celebrated Janamshtami yesterday; the other half celebrated today. Either way, what matters is that it must rain (because when the lord was born it poured like mad) if the festival has to be propitious and hold any significance.
Thus, on a bright, sunny morning today, the heavens opened up on cue and it spluttered for a brief five minutes. That was enough to interrupt our exercises and send everyone running helter-skelter for shelter.

Bemused bystanders

Whatever anybody might say, nobody likes getting drenched while exercising.
Before long, it was time to resume the exercises. We retraced our steps and took position when lo and behold, close to the China Hut, the exercises had begun with another group of members.

Second set of prayers on Janamashtami 

They had taken shelter there and were now too scared to venture out, lest it rained again and they get drenched in another ‘divine’ shower. Arun Patil called them ‘drifters’ – people who had drifted away in the imaginary deluge following the five-minute drizzle! But it was a peculiar sight. For the first time the Garden was witness to two laughter groups doing their numbers simultaneously – one, out in the open and the other, in the confines of a dark shed. Both doggedly dug in their heels and refused to even acknowledge the existence of one another.
Willy nilly, Monthi Serrao had to get caught between the two groups. She came in late as usual and from the gate itself, was hailed by the ‘drifters’ in the shed. From a distance the other group waved at her. Confused, she took a few steps ahead, stopped, then walked back, stopped again and looked around… Her staccato stop-start, stop-start action became a joke in itself, throwing both groups into spasms of laughter.
Lord Krishna is said to be the most human of all gods and a prankster par excellence. So he should well understand our playful capers on his birthday. Still, to be doubly sure we were not misunderstood, two sets of prayers went up this morning for him to deal with. Happy Janamashtami!
Jagmohan Papneja:
Due to rain, we split into two groups doing our activities at the same time at different places because Lord Krishna is omnipresent and doing leela with each one of us. Radha ka PREM/ Murli ki mithaas/ Maakhan ka swaad/ Gopiyon ka raas/ Inhi se milke banta hai Janamashtami ka din khaas. Wish you a very happy festival.