Udaipur, The Pratap Gaurav Kendra ‘Rashtriya Teerth’ will come alive with devotion, festivity and cultural celebrations as the three-day Sri Krishna Janmashtami Mela Mahotsav begins on Friday.

Organised by the Pratap Gaurav Kendra under the Veer Shiromani Maharana Pratap Samiti, Udaipur, the festival will be held from September 4 to 6. Along with religious rituals, the event will showcase folk traditions, music, art and the festive spirit associated with Janmashtami.

The organisers said an innovative format of the traditional Dahi-Handi competition will be one of the key attractions this year.

Pratap Gaurav Kendra Director Anurag Saxena said preparations for the festival have been completed. The celebrations will bring together depictions of Lord Krishna’s childhood episodes, devotional activities and folk traditions.

The entire premises will resonate with devotional chants of “Hathi-Ghoda-Palki, Jai Kanhaiya Lal Ki” during the celebrations.

Darshan open till midnight on Janmashtami

On September 4, Janmashtami, devotees will be able to visit the centre from 6 am to midnight. The fair will begin in the afternoon, featuring stalls selling food items, handicrafts, religious and social literature and daily-use products. Swings and entertainment programmes will also be organised for visitors.

Festival to begin with Panchamrit Abhishek

Festival coordinator Chandra Singh Kothari said the celebrations will begin at 6 am on September 4 with Panchamrit Abhishek. Devotees can participate by contributing Rs 1,100 per couple.

A fancy-dress competition will be held from noon to 2 pm. Children up to five years of age will participate in the Kanha-Yashoda category, while children aged six to 12 will compete in the Radha-Krishna category. Professor Kailash Daga, Vice Chancellor of Mohanlal Sukhadia University, will be the chief guest.

The traditional Dahi-Handi competition will be held from 2 pm to 8 pm. The winning team will receive a first prize of Rs 51,000. UDA and Municipal Corporation Commissioner Abhishek Khanna and Additional Superintendent of Police Chhagan Singh Rajpurohit will be the chief guests.

Innovative Dahi-Handi format introduced

The most innovative feature of this year’s festival will be a special Dahi-Handi competition designed to encourage wider participation.

Trained or professional players will not be permitted to participate in this category. A separate Dahi-Handi will be tied at a height of 18 feet for each participating team. Teams will be given a stipulated time to break the pot, and the team completing the challenge in the shortest time will be declared the winner.

The winner will receive Rs 11,000, while the second and third-place teams will receive Rs 5,100 and Rs 2,100, respectively. A consolation prize of Rs 1,100 will also be awarded.

According to the organisers, the new format is aimed at adding excitement to the traditional Dahi-Handi event while encouraging participation from people who are not trained players.

Jhankis, Lahariya and boat ceremony on September 5

The second day of the festival on September 5 will feature a Jhanki competition from 9 am, showcasing artistic presentations based on Lord Krishna’s life and religious and cultural themes.

A Lahariya festival will be held from noon, celebrating Rajasthan’s colourful folk traditions. The Naav Manorath ceremony will take place from 4 pm to 7 pm, followed by a devotional Bhajan Sandhya at 8 pm.

Gawri to mark the finale

The festival will conclude on September 6 with a traditional Gawri performance beginning at 9 am. Gawri, a distinctive folk theatre tradition associated with the tribal and cultural heritage of Mewar, will add a vibrant local touch to the concluding day of the celebrations.

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