Mumbai, Aug 23 (IANS): From dahi handi to listening to Lord Krishna bhajans, television stars such as Akshay Kharodia, Naman Shaw, Neha Rana and Shruti Bhist among others have talked about how they celebrate Janmashtami.
Akshay Kharodia from 'Suhaagan' said: "Janmashtami has always held a special place in my heart. It takes me back to my childhood, when my friends and I would bring the idol of Lord Krishna to our society, and the whole community would come together for the pooja.”
He said he can still feel the excitement of being at the top of the human pyramid and cracking open the handi.
“Now, our celebrations are more intimate — a small pooja at home and a special celebration with my Suhaagan family on set. Yet, the joy and spirit of the festival are still the same. Wishing you all the blessings of Lord Krishna on this beautiful day. May he fill your lives with peace and prosperity."
Actor Naman Shaw of 'Mangal Lakshmi' fame said: "In Kolkata, my home city, my family has a tradition where the elders fast until midnight, celebrating the auspicious day with a maha aarti and swinging Lord Krishna’s idol on the jhula.
“In Mumbai, I treasure our ritual of visiting the ISKCON temple here with my family for performing a pooja . This year, I’m excited to celebrate Janmashtami on the set of Mangal Lakshmi, as we will be shooting on that day. It’s a special time that connects me to my roots. One day, I dream of celebrating Janmashtami in Mathura with my son, experiencing the festival in its most sacred place.”
‘Megha Barsenge’ actress Neha Rana said that this year, she is excited to celebrate Janmashtami in Mumbai.
“Listening to Lord Krishna bhajans always brings me peace and clarity. I’m looking forward to stepping out with my friends to witness the famous dahi-handi festivities in the city.”
“We will also have a beautiful celebration on the sets of ‘Megha Barsenge’ with my co-actors and relish prasad like panjiri, kheer, and maakhan mishri. May Lord Krishna bless us all!"
Actress Anchal Sahu, who essayed the role of Parvati in 'Parineetii', said: "I will start my day by going to the temple and thanking Lord Krishna this Janmashtami! The Parineetii team has planned to extend the celebrations beyond the screen and I'm excited to bring it in with all its fanfare.”
“The entire cast and crew will come together for performing the puja to honour Lord Krishna, and we will follow tradition by swinging his idol on the jhula. I shall also distribute Balakrishna's favourite maakhan mishri to the entire crew."
Shruti Bhist from ‘Mishri’ shared: “Janmashtami has always been special to me. I start each day with a prayer at a nearby Krishna temple and love involving friends in the festivities, especially during dahi handi. Our show is set in Mathura, the birthplace of Krishna, and we're planning a grand Janmashtami celebration as part of our storyline. It's the biggest event in Mathura-Vrindavan, after all!”
“Portraying a character so close to Krishna's homeland has made me feel even more in tune with the festival's spirit. The show truly celebrates the glory of Lord Krishna, and being part of it during this auspicious time feels magical. I hope everyone experiences the divine blessings of Krishna this Janmashtami."
The shows air on Colors.