Christchurch, it seems, is increasingly coming back to its pre-earthquake festive calendar. One such celebration that old-timers had always been fond of was the celebration of the appearance day of Krishna, or Krishna Janmashtami, at the city's Hare Krishna Centre.
That same joyous feeling was prevalent again in the city when the Centre, which opened its doors again early this year after a long-rebuild, hosted the community for the festival on Tuesday.
Ladoo Gopal at the Christchurch Fiji Association's Krishna Janmashtami celebrations
It was an evening of celebration that culminated in a ekadashi feast after a midnight candlelit aarti accompanied by sweet melodic kirtan.
“To devotees of Krishna, it’s Christmas and New Year’s in one, a day of deep spiritual renewal and celebration that effectively finishes an old year and begins a fresh one,” said a Centre spokesperson.
Another celebration that ended this week was the Christchurch Fiji Association's week-long event. “People sing Krishna bhajans, offer prayers and share stories from the Lord's life, which are a lesson for everybody,” said Vineesh Prakash, Secretary of the Christchurch Fiji Association.