Wanderlust Tales : Iskcon, Rajijanagar - Bangalore
Janmashtami is the day Lord Krishna was born who is also the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu.
This auspicious occasion is celebrated by millions in the country with an abundance of joy.
The Sri Krishna Janmashtami this year was celebrated on the 14th and 15th of August, 2017.
Where better to rejoice the birth of Lord Krishna than visiting the ISKON temple and seek the blessing of Lord Krishna. Here, the festival is celebrated with hundreds of devotees thronging the temple premises to offer their respects to the Lord.
This time we planned to visit the ISKCON at the Chord Road, Rajaji Nagar which is at a distance of about 15-16 kilometers from our place at JP Nagar.
We opted for the Namma Metro from the Jaya Prakash Nagar Metro Station to the Mahalakshmi Metro Station which is the nearest metro station to the ISKON temple. From the metro station at Mahalakshmi, you can catch a cab or walk a distance of 1 kilometer or so to reach the temple.
I swear the Namma Metro makes commuting easy and hassle free - the journey which would have taken us about above an hour by our car, took us about 30 minutes minus no wait time or traffic - such relief. 😎
As you enter, the continuous chants of
makes you feel so connected to the Lord.
The holy shrine of the Lord is offered 108 special different kinds of bhog on this day. Along with it, is prepared tons of sweet Pongal which is distributed among the devotees as they exit the temple.
The entire temple is cleaned and the deities are decorated and adorned with jewelry and flowers - it is just divine. That one glimpse of the Lord will touch your soul.
From their official site, the deities of Sri Radha Krishnachandra are anointed with fragrant oils and bathed with auspicious items like milk, yogurt, ghee, honey, sweet water and fresh juices.They are then smeared with turmeric paste and bathed in Ganges water. Varieties of flowers are showered until the deities are submerged in a bed of flowers.
The chamber where the Lord resides - is just gleaming in gold - mesmerizing.
The residing deities are - Sri Radha Krishnachandra, Sri Sri Krishna Balarama and Sri Sri Nitai Gauranga.
There are two smaller temples housing the deities of Sri Srinivasa Govinda, Sri Prahlada Narasimha, Sri Hanuman and Sri Garuda Deva.
There is such happiness flowing around - totally gives you a positive vibe. 🙊
I must say they temple authorities try to manage the queue and facilitate well.
There are tokens available for special darshan. We went in the general queue, the long queues could be tiring - but patience is the key. As you walk through - they have a shoe stand mid way, where you need to put your shoes in a bag against which you would get a token. As you progress further - there is a provision for washing your hands and feet too.
Have your darshan and walk out to bowl full of yummy sweet Pongal. 😋
On the occasion of Janmashtami, the temple was open through the day.
Otherwise, if you visit, there are darshan timings as below, from their official site:
Weekdays:
7:15 - 13:00
16:15 - 20:15
Weekends/Public Holiday:
7:15 - 20:15
More pictures:
The queue:
Mom:
The PAKODA, priced at Rs.30/-was okay-ish, made with cabbage leaves and besan. I did not enjoy it, since it was dead cold.
Bhog:
P.S. All the above photos have been clicked by me. J
This auspicious occasion is celebrated by millions in the country with an abundance of joy.
The Sri Krishna Janmashtami this year was celebrated on the 14th and 15th of August, 2017.
Where better to rejoice the birth of Lord Krishna than visiting the ISKON temple and seek the blessing of Lord Krishna. Here, the festival is celebrated with hundreds of devotees thronging the temple premises to offer their respects to the Lord.
HOW TO GET HERE:
We opted for the Namma Metro from the Jaya Prakash Nagar Metro Station to the Mahalakshmi Metro Station which is the nearest metro station to the ISKON temple. From the metro station at Mahalakshmi, you can catch a cab or walk a distance of 1 kilometer or so to reach the temple.
I swear the Namma Metro makes commuting easy and hassle free - the journey which would have taken us about above an hour by our car, took us about 30 minutes minus no wait time or traffic - such relief. 😎
ISKCON:
It took us about 30 to 45 minutes to reach the main chamber where the Lord resides after passing the long queues.As you enter, the continuous chants of
"Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna Hare Hare, Hare Ram Hare Ram, Ram Ram Hare Hare',
makes you feel so connected to the Lord.
The holy shrine of the Lord is offered 108 special different kinds of bhog on this day. Along with it, is prepared tons of sweet Pongal which is distributed among the devotees as they exit the temple.
The entire temple is cleaned and the deities are decorated and adorned with jewelry and flowers - it is just divine. That one glimpse of the Lord will touch your soul.
From their official site, the deities of Sri Radha Krishnachandra are anointed with fragrant oils and bathed with auspicious items like milk, yogurt, ghee, honey, sweet water and fresh juices.They are then smeared with turmeric paste and bathed in Ganges water. Varieties of flowers are showered until the deities are submerged in a bed of flowers.
The chamber where the Lord resides - is just gleaming in gold - mesmerizing.
The residing deities are - Sri Radha Krishnachandra, Sri Sri Krishna Balarama and Sri Sri Nitai Gauranga.
There are two smaller temples housing the deities of Sri Srinivasa Govinda, Sri Prahlada Narasimha, Sri Hanuman and Sri Garuda Deva.
There is such happiness flowing around - totally gives you a positive vibe. 🙊
I must say they temple authorities try to manage the queue and facilitate well.
There are tokens available for special darshan. We went in the general queue, the long queues could be tiring - but patience is the key. As you walk through - they have a shoe stand mid way, where you need to put your shoes in a bag against which you would get a token. As you progress further - there is a provision for washing your hands and feet too.
Have your darshan and walk out to bowl full of yummy sweet Pongal. 😋
On the occasion of Janmashtami, the temple was open through the day.
Otherwise, if you visit, there are darshan timings as below, from their official site:
Weekdays:
7:15 - 13:00
16:15 - 20:15
Weekends/Public Holiday:
7:15 - 20:15
More pictures:
The queue:
Mom:
Once you darshan is over, starts the plethora of shops selling bhog items, snack items, photos frames, cloth, scents, incent sticks.
We took the DIL PASAND, priced at Rs.25/- - with flour covering which was baked and stuffed with coconut stuffing with loads tutty fruity - yeay!!
The PAKODA, priced at Rs.30/-was okay-ish, made with cabbage leaves and besan. I did not enjoy it, since it was dead cold.
The GUJIYAS, priced at Rs.20/- was delicious with khoya stuffing - my god!!
They sell food items ranging from samosas, kachori, gulab jamuns, rosgullas, cookies, laddoos. Enjoy!
Bhog:
DON'TS:
- Don't leave your footwear outside, there is a provision as you walk through for your darshan - free of charge.
- Don't carry a stand-alone camera - they do have a provision for leaving your belongings.
- Don't carry baggage - only handbags allowed.
- Don't wear objectionable clothing.
~Journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step! 😊
P.S. All the above photos have been clicked by me. J
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