RAWALPINDI: Amid the political hustle and bustle in Islamabad, the Hindus of the twin cities gathered at a small temple in the adjoining garrison city on Monday to celebrate Krishna Janmashtami, a festival to mark the birthday of Krishna.

The political situation in the country was an important topic of discussion among the participants of the festival.

There were mixed opinion amid the people, as some people were supporting Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf (PTI) while others were supporting the government. However, some senior members of the community believed that the rule of law and democracy should be saved.

“In my opinion, the government and the opposition should sit and find a solution for the betterment of the country. We support any political party which puts the country on a path towards development,” said Mohan Lal, a resident of Lal Kurti.

Prayers, decorations, dance and pot-breaking filled the festival with joy and spirituality

Another participant, Ram Das, a resident of Jhanda Chichi, said democracy should remain intact otherwise there will be chaos. “The rights of non-Muslims are protected in a democracy and we support those who protect our rights,” he said.

As part of the celebration, the temple was decorated with colourful lights and tinsel to liven up the ambience and to give a sense of joy and gaiety.

A Hindu youth stands on the shoulders of his fellows to perform the pot-breaking ritual. The pictures below show Hindu devotees reading from the Bhagavad Geeta and a child dressed up as Krishna. — Photos by Khurram Amin

The area in and around the temple presented a riot of colours as the young and old alike came out and danced to celebrate Lord Krishna’s birthday. For most of the members of the Hindu community, the day was festive as they adorned new and colourful clothes.

The function formally started with pooja (prayers) of Krishna. The temple priest recited verses from Bhagavad Geeta, which has speeches by the Hindu god Krishna. The celebrations were followed by distribution of sweets.

Before the commencement of the ceremony, Jehangir Sagar sung bhajans. This was the first time that the bhajans were sung by a local singer; otherwise the temple usually used recorded tapes for the event.

A Hindu youth stands on the shoulders of his fellows to perform the pot-breaking ritual. The pictures below show Hindu devotees reading from the Bhagavad Geeta and a child dressed up as Krishna. — Photos by Khurram Amin

The main ritual of the ceremony was to break a high-placed earthen pot, which contained butter and milk. It was broken by a small group of young men, who stood on each other’s shoulders to reach the pot. This was to celebrate the memory of Krishna, who liked milk and butter. The participants also presented his story through a tableau.

All Pakistan Hindu and Sikh Welfare Association President Jag Mohan Arora told Dawn that the Hindus observed Janmashtami to celebrate the birthday of Lord Krishna. He said it symbolised the victory of good over evil and the arrival of Krishna on earth, to purify the land from all evils.

He said the Hindus observed a fast one day before the festival and broke the fast late in the night, after pooja.

Mr Arora said the Hindu community made all arrangements in collaboration with the Evacuee Trust Property Board. And since he had submitted an application with the Cantonment Police Station two days before the event, the police provided sufficient security.

Published in Dawn, August 19th, 2014