City gears up to celebrate Lord Krishna's birthday

KANPUR: Janmashtami preparations are in full swing in Kanpur. Markets are loaded with Krishna idols of all shapes and sizes and other decorative items needed to celebrate the festival.
Shopkeepers are doing brisk business as devotees throng market for last minute shopping. According to a shop owner, with people willing to set up tableaux at their homes, clay idols, colourful dresses and handicraft articles are in huge demand.
Decorative items such as glittering 'mukuts', 'haars', 'jhule', 'bansuri' and 'mor pankh' are also being purchased by people in large numbers. Prime city markets including Shivalaya witnessed a huge crowd of people purchasing tableaux items.
"Since childhood we have been following all rituals. My kids are enthusiastic about setting up tableaux at home. So, every year we create a scene, depicting different phases of Lord's life, including his childhood as 'makhan chor'. We decorate the whole thing with colourful lights and other decorative items made of wood, clay etc," an ardent Krishna devotee, Nita Singh said.
Kusum Agrawal, 70, said, "We perform puja at home every year. The Idol of Lord Krishna is placed inside a cucumber, which signifies his birth. We celebrate Krishna's birthday by singing bhajans and distributing 'prasad- panjiri, Shrikhand, Panchamrut- to everyone at night. The festival is celebrated with one and all. After performing puja, I walk out of my home to see tableaux set up at various places with my grandchildren."
Many devotees fast whole day and break it only at the stroke of midnight after Lord Krishna's birth, while others show their devotion by fasting for two days on Janmashtami. It is said that Lord Krishna took birth at the midnight between the first and the second day. Therefore, the actual festivities begin at midnight in this 48-hour period.
While people are busy preparing for the festival, sweet shops in the city have also come up with special 'vrat' menus. Alok Mishra, owner of a sweet shop, told TOI that they have prepared five types of 'satvik pack'. " We have prepared five types of packs, which include Nariyal pack, Makhana pack, dryfruit pack, mingi Pack etc, on the occasion of Janmashtami. We will be also serving Panchamrut to our customers for free on Monday after finishing with Puja."