Early Times Report
Jammu, Aug 13
Swine flu may be uppermost on their minds, but residents of the capital are giving in to the enthusiasm of Janmashtami that will mark the birthday of Lord Krishna, one of the most popular Hindu gods, Friday.
Notwithstanding the scare caused by swine flu and the advisories to stay away from crowded places, shoppers are thronging markets in large numbers to make purchases for the celebrations of Janmasthami, the birthday of Hindu god Krishna.
The shrines are being decorated with flowers. Food stalls are also being set up.
All the major markets, especially those selling cloth, flowers and coconuts have been thronged by the shoppers. The rush is quite heavy in Raghunath Bazar, Purani Mandi, Link Road and Jain Bazar.
"We are here to make purchases for the festival," said Shivani Gupta, 43, a homemaker, making purchases in Purani Mandi, a heavily congested area.
"Janmasthami is a big festival and we have to celebrate it," she said.
Aruna Sharma, a homemaker, said: "Janmashtami begins with a daylong fast. We make different kinds of sweets like halwa, jalebi and kheer and decorate the house through the day and bathe Krishna's idol in milk. In the evening there is a puja, when we sing devotional songs that last uptil midnight."
"However, unlike earlier years when we would go to the temple at night and join in the festivities and prayers with everyone else, eating from the food stalls and paying obeisance to Lord Krishna, this time I am not sure. With all the swine flu news, I think it's better to avoid the crowds," Sharma told
Vijaylakshmi, 39, from Kali Jani, a congested locality in the walled city said: "Well, we are healthy and don't see any symptoms among the fellow shoppers or shopkeepers, so, why should we be worried?" "We will not allow this scare to spoil our festivities," she added. All the temples, particularly those named after Lord Krishna, are being decorated.
Shopkeepers too are happy that the festival is keeping their business alive.
"Our customers have visited us and made purchases. There is no talk of swine flu," Vineet Mahajan, a shopkeeper in Link Road area, said. He told that the "market is witnessing the same amount of rush as in previous years".
Anupama Das, a teacher, said they also place the idol of a baby Krishna in a cradle on Janmashtami and pray to him.
"Like always we will have an elaborate puja at home on Janmashtami, with the bhog and everything. Later in the evening, I will probably visit the temple for sometime, although I don't want to be stuck in the huge crowd - more so because of the swine flu scare," Das said.
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