Lucknow: ISKCON Lucknow celebrated Diwali with a grand Deepotsav featuring the lighting of 1.25 lakh diyas, followed by Govardhan Puja and the Annakoot Mahotsav, drawing thousands of devotees to its sprawling five-acre temple परिसर.
The Deepotsav was organised with devotion and enthusiasm under the blessings of Srila Prabhupada, Guru Maharaj and Sri Sri Radha Raman Bihari Ji. Temple devotees, youth volunteers and women devotees joined hands to illuminate the premises with thousands of traditional lamps.
Special tableaux depicting several episodes from Hindu mythology, including the Yashoda-Damodar Leela, Sri Sita-Ram, Lord Jagannath, Gajendra Moksha and Samudra Manthan, were created using decorative arrangements of diyas. The temple complex glowed with the light of 1.25 lakh lamps, attracting thousands of visitors who came to witness the celebrations.
Srila Prabhupada’s spiritual books and mahaprasad were also distributed among devotees and visitors.
The celebrations continued the following day with Govardhan Puja, commemorating Lord Krishna’s divine act of lifting Govardhan Hill to protect the people of Vrindavan from torrential rains.
On the occasion, the Govardhan Shila was ceremonially bathed in milk, curd, honey, water from sacred pilgrimage sites, fruit juices and flowers. Devotees also listened to the narration of the Govardhan Leela and the story of Lord Krishna lifting the sacred hill.
Thousands of devotees enthusiastically participated in the Govardhan Parikrama, expressing their devotion through prayers and worship.
A grand Annakoot offering, comprising a wide variety of food preparations, was presented to the deity. This was followed by a large-scale Annakoot Mahaprasad feast, where thousands of devotees from Lucknow and neighbouring areas partook of the sacred food.
ISKCON Lucknow expressed gratitude to all devotees, volunteers, supporters and visitors whose participation and voluntary service contributed to the successful organisation of both festivals.
The temple management prayed to Sri Sri Radha Raman Bihari Ji for continued blessings of devotion, love, peace, prosperity and happiness for every family. It also urged devotees to carry forward Srila Prabhupada’s mission by spreading the message of Lord Krishna’s love and devotion to every home and heart.
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