VIJAYAWADA: The birth of Lord Krishna was celebrated with traditional pomp and gaiety at Sri Durga Malleswara Swamy Varla Devasthanam (SDMSD) atop Indrakeeladri hill on the occasion of Gokulashtami on Monday. To mark the celebrations, Durga temple was specially decorated with colourful flowers and the devotees were allowed up to the entrance. A large crowd queued up for darshan of the deity of Lord Krishna set up in Mallikarjuna Mahamandapam.
Some parents came with their children dressed in Lord Krishna’s attire. Priests gave the devotees theertham at the temple entrance and explained the prominence of the festival. Temple officials ensured that devotees followed Covid-19 safety protocols such as wearing face masks and maintaining social distance. Later in the evening, the temple officials conducted ‘Utti’ ritual where children participated in large numbers and took the blessings of Lord Krishna.
Meanwhile, Sri Krishna Janmashtami was celebrated by the Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam (TTD) under ‘Mana Gudi’ programme at Santoshi Mata temple. Vijayawada Central MLA Malladi Vishnu participated as the chief guest during the celebrations. On the occasion, Vishnu said that following the directions of Chief Minister YS Jagan Mohan Reddy, the TTD has organised Gokulashtami celebrations at the temple. Worshipping cow is a Hindu tradition and it was performed before conducting any other events.
In the next coming days, Go Pooja will be conducted in all the temples to protect the rich culture and tradition of the Hindu community, he said. Vishnu also thanked TTD chairperson YV Subba Reddy for coming up with such an initiative highlighting the significance of cows.