Janamashtmi is one of the most celebrated Hindu festivals
* 16 pilgrims to travel from Sindh to Punjab for festival
* Palna is placed in all Krishna temples all over the world
By Abdul Manan
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default...-8-2008_pg7_50
posted August 24 2008
LAHORE: For the first time ever, a Sindhi Hindu pilgrim will place a palna (cradle) at the Krishna temple in the city, with the objective of swinging an idol of Krishna on the occasion of the Hindu festival Janamashtmi (birthday of Karishna,), sources in the Hindu community and the Evacuee Trust Property Board (ETPB) told Daily Times on Saturday.
Sources in the ETPB told Daily Times that the ritual of swinging the palna at the Krishna temple was regularly practiced before the partition, however, although Janamashtmi was still celebrated afterwards, the swinging of the palna was only practiced in Sindh.
For the first time since partition, Shusheela Raj, a female Hindu philanthropist, along with 15 pilgrims from Sindh, will participate in the festival on August 24 (the 6,350th birthday of Krishna) at Krishna temple, Ravi Road, Lahore. Shusheela told Daily Times that she would participate in the festival as the first ever Sindhi Hindu woman to swing the idol of Krishna in the palna at this temple. She said that the palna practice has been exercised in Sindhi temples from the start.
Sources told Daily Times that ETPB Chairman Lt Gen (r) Muhammad Javeed would be the chief guest at the festival. Krishna temple General Secretary Dr Munawar Chand told Daily Times that the swinging of the idol was a part of the ritual, which was exercised at Krishna temples across the world. He said, “Janamashtmi is an eight-day Hindu festival that celebrates the birthday of one of Hinduism’s greatest gods, Krishna.” He also said that Hindus would fast for 24 hours during the Janamashtmi. Sunil Chand, a Hindu social activist, told Daily Times that around 200 Hindus and Sikhs from Lahore would also participate in the festival.
Festival: According to tradition, upon the birth of Krishna, a havan (holy fire) will be lit after sunset and people will gather in the decorated Krishna Mandir to sing in his name and to recite excerpts from the Bhagavatam. This will be followed by the worship of Krishna, in which the idol will be bathed in milk while his name is chanted 108 times, after which the idol will be adorned with garlands and worshippers will perform aarti and recite anecdotes about the birth of Krishna from the Bhagavatam. At midnight (when Krishna is supposed to have been born), his idol will be rocked in a decorated cradle. The night will end with the Hindus taking home blessings in the form of prasad (sweets with blessings).
Krishna temple Executive Secretary Suny Kumar said that women would decorate their houses and prepare sweets made from butter to welcome Krishna’s birth. The footprints of children would be marked in red ink from the entrance of the houses to the meditation rooms to symbolise his visit. Joginder Nath Sharma, a Hindu student, said that Janamasthmi fell on the eight day of the dark half of bhadrapada (a month in the Hindu calendar that falls between August and September), and was one of the most celebrated religious occasions in Hinduism.
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