ISKCON of Houston Celebrates Janmasthami

HOUSTON: This year, ISKCON of Houston, celebrated the auspicious occasion – Janmasthami (Lord Krishna’s Appearance Day) in a huge way, with midnight aarti (worship), inspiring kirtan, enlivening dancing and mesmerizing performances by Viva Kultura, a traveling theatre group from Poland.

The annual festival – Kirtan Fest Houston, that started on Saturday had devotees and visiting guests immersed in spirituality before Monday’s Janmasthami festival and continued on through Tuesday, when Srila Prabhupada’s Appearance Day festival was celebrated. This year’s Kirtan Fest included numerous famous Kirtan singers from ISKCON, such as Indradyumna Swami and Bhakti Bhringa Govinda Swami. Devotees also heard and danced to the melodious tunes from Bada Haridas, Akincana Krishna Dasa (formerly of Glassjaw band), Krishna Kishore Dasa (of Mayapuris) and Havi Dasa (a Latin Grammy Award winner).

Janmasthami is celebrated worldwide by the devotees of Krishna as the most important festival in the vaishnava calendar. Janmashtami is observed by fasts and feasts, sacred chants and personal prayers and above all, the glorification of his holy name in the form of musical mantra meditation, kirtan.

Over 5000 people attended the events with the devotee community to celebrate the biggest birthday party for the year. They all experienced a cultural revolution of the heart as they milled about the various tents, met our beautiful calves – that came specially to visit from the Bhakti Urban Farm and heard talks from Srimad Bhagavad Gita and Srimad Bhagavatam by visiting saints like Their Holiness Indradyumna Swami, Bhakti Bhringa Govinda Swami, Giriraj Swami, Bhakti Sundar Goswami and so many more exalted Vaisnavas. With fresh flowers decorating their Lordships, Sri Sri Radha Nilamadhava, devotees got to have a very special viewing, or darshan, of the deities.

On Sunday and Monday, a colorful costume contest was taking place followed by various music concerts and traditional dance performances by students of several Texas’ premiere arts schools. As Monday midnight drew closer, devotees were roused to their feet by the soul stirring and ecstatic kirtan of Indradyumna Swami, causing several to shed tears of happiness when the curtains opened to reveal Their Lordships in all Their beauty and splendor. How could a festival that celebrates the embodiment of love not be filled with love itself?

We hope to see you at our future celebrations so that you too could experience the joy and wonder that was felt that night.

Please visit us at www.iskconhouston.org and like and follow us on Facebook (ISKCON of Houston), to keep up to date on all the awesome festivals that occur right here in the heart of Houston.