District Minister, B Ramanath Rai inaugurates ’Janmashtami’ celebrations

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Aug 23, 2016: The five-day Sri Krishna Janmashtami celebrations was seen to a colourful start with a Yakshagana episode ’Subhadra Kalyana’ by the artistes from Badaguthittu Yakshagana.

Inaugurating the programme, Minister for Forest B Ramanath Rai said an elephant would be offered to the temple for the celebrations, in the absence of  Subhadra, the elephant of the temple, undergoing treatment for prolonged illness and the temple administration had planned to celebrate the festival without the elephant.

Sri Krishna Janmashtami celebration is held at Sri Krishna Mutt both on August 24 and 25 due to differences in the ’Panchangas’. The important ritual of ’Arghya Pradhan’ is held at the temple at around 11.48 pm to Lord Krishna on both the days. The Sri Krishna Leelotsava festival, popularly known as Vitlapindi and Mosarukudike, is celebrated on August 26.  Religious discourses and lectures by writers and scholars will be held for five days.

The cultural programmes of the week include flute-violin jugalbandi by Kumaresh and Ronu Majumdar, Bharatnatyam by Padma Subramaniam, Carnatic concert by Unnikrishnan, flute recital by Mysore Chandankumar, Bharatnatyam by Revati Srinivasan and ballet Sudhama Charitre by Rama Bharadwaj.