Aditi Sharma aka Meera, Kaleerein – “I am a strong believer in God and for me, my life is incomplete without Lord Krishna or Lord Shiva. The festival of Janmashtami holds a great significance for me and my family. We make it a point to visit the Iskcon temple to offer our prayers and seek his blessings. At home, we celebrate it by having the kids dressed up as little Krishna, binging on loads of makhan based sweets and of course decorating and taking turns to swing the paalna (cradle) with baby Krishna i it.”
Vrushika Mehta aka Puchki/Asmita, Yeh Teri Galiyaan – For me, Lord Krishna is the most beautiful God. He is considered the God of Gods and I simply love that he is so charming, intelligent and fun-loving. On the auspicious day of his birth, we start our day by visiting the temple to offer our prayers. The kids in the house get extremely excited and eagerly look forward to the day. It is a completely fun-filled day for us with a lot of home cooked traditional food and sweets to binge on.”
Manish Goplani aka Shantanu, Yeh Teri Galiyaan – “The fondest memories of Janmashtami for me as a child has been of participating in the competition for the best dressed Krishna. I still remember how excited I used to be and would start planning everything with my mother well in advance. Our innumerable trips in search of the perfect Krishna costume, jewellery and the fancy flute used to be the most fun part. The entire body getting painted in blue fascinated me the most. I totally miss those days and wish I could go back to be the little Krishna and get everyone to pamper me.”
Nishant Singh Malkani aka Akshat Jindal, Guddan – “Lord Krishna is mostly everyone’s favourite deity, across age groups. There have been so many television shows and story books with inspiring stories about his playful personality and his fight against wrongdoings. When I was growing up, it used to be a sweet, simple and happy occasion with kids in every locality climbing up to break the handis. I look forward to these celebrations even now and try to actively participate in case time permits.”
Vivek Oberoi, Mentor, India’s Best Dramebaaz – “Janmashtami is one of my favourite festivals and in Mumbai, it is celebrated on such a grand scale with the famous Dahi-Handi competition. The Govindas start preparing for the competition much ahead of the festival and their enthusiasm and spirit is totally astounding. The entire city is seen bustling with slogans Ala Re Ala Govinda Ala Re, fragrant flowers, songs, and dance. While some families prefer visiting the Krishna temples, others prepare a cradle of flowers in which a small miniature of Lord Krishna is placed. The entire atmosphere is festive and delightful.”
Shantanu Maheshwari, Host, India’s Best Dramebaaz – “Lord Krishna symbolises the triumph of good over evil. The most spectacular Janmashtami celebrations can be seen in Mathura and Vrindavan. But the spirit of this festival can be witnessed across all parts of the country. We celebrate the festival by visiting the Krishna temple, thanking him for his blessings. A lot of people fast throughout the day and break their fast at midnight. What I enjoy the most is the Chappan Bhog which comprises 56 dishes that are offered to Lord Krishna during the prayers.”
Renee Dhyani aka Beauty, Yeh Teri Galiyaan “Mumbaikars celebrate every festival with great vigor. The Janmashtami festival in Mumbai has its unique flavour of Dahi-Handi. The celebrations are extravagant with live dance and music. But what makes this festival more special is the Govindas Pathaks – The group of Govindas forming human pyramids to take on the challenge of breaking Dahi Handis across the city. They travel across different parts of Mumbai to take up these challenges and win big. It is an absolute delight to watch Govindas in action.”
