Janamashtmi Celebration 2012

Photo gallery

Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, and Christians gathered at Gobind Sadan on August 10th to happily celebrate Janamashtmi, birth day of Lord Krishna, together. A traditional swing had been hung and decorated for the baby Krishna, and at midnight, everyone took turns rocking baby Krishna in the cradle by pulling a flower-bedecked ribbon attached to it. It was an open mike evening, with musical offerings from visiting Russian sevadars (who sang a South Indian song praising Lord Krishna), Nitin (who had been blind when he came to Gobind Sadan but, now cured by blessings from all the holy places, cleans the guesthouse), women from the villages of Madhya Pradesh and Punjab, Bhagat Ji, Gobind Sadan children, and the maulana of Gobind Sadan’s mosque, Abdul Jabar. He said, “On the occasion of the birthday of Bhagwan Krishna, the symbol of devotion, this love that we are all sharing is the way that one can reach God. Religion is love, and love is the way to reach God. If we all together build a house of love in a very fine way, there is a saying in Arabic that in a place where love or religion are talked or read about, at that place angels appear, and they make people feel peaceful and happy while they are there. What could be a better happening in our life than this? It happens at Gobind Sadan, where flowers are blooming.” He led the congregation in reciting Nam—Ik Onkar Sat Nam Siri Wahe Guru, and recited a poem in Urdu about his love for Baba Virsa Singh Ji, ending with “Please fulfill this heart’s wish of mine, please call me to the dargah, please let me sleep in Gobind Sadan, my Babaji.” As he left to offer Ramadan prayers at the mosque, he said, “If your prayers are successful, then the next Ramadan we will gather again, God willing, and I will recite something that would touch your heart, and we will lose ourselves in the memory of Baba Virsa Singh Ji, to such an extent that there won’t be anybody in front of us except him.”

At midnight, Hardip Singh and Bhagat Ji offered ardas and then many kinds of rich foods, including sweet butter, were distributed to the sangat in honor of Lord Krishna.