Janmashtami, one of the major festivals of the Hindu community commemorating the birth of Lord Sri Krishna, will be celebrated countrywide on Monday with due religious fervour and gaiety, reports BSS.

According to the Hindu mythology, Sri Krishna was born on the eighth day of dark fortnight in the Bangla month of Bhadra and he takes birth in ages in the world to safeguard the good and pious people from the hands of malevolent people by establishing truth, justice and beauty in the society.

The day of Janmashtami is a public holiday in Bangladesh.

Temples and religious organizations and institutions have also chalked out programmes to celebrate Janmashtami festival.

National dailies will publish special articles while Bangladesh Betar, Bangladesh Television, other private TV channels and radio stations will air special programmes highlighting various aspects of life and philosophy of Lord Sri Krishna.

Bangladesh Puja Udjapan Parishad and Mahanagar Sarbajanin Puja Committee have taken programme to be observed centrally at Dhakeshwari National Temple.

The programmes include Geeta Joggo at 8am at Dhakeshwari National Temple to seek blessing for the country and the nation. A historic Janmashtami procession will be brought out from Palashi intersection at 2pm and Krishna puja will be held in the night.

A discussion will be held before the procession.

Adviser for Law, Justice and Parliamentary Affairs Ministry, Cultural Affairs Ministry and Expatriates' Welfare and Overseas Employment Ministry Dr Asif Nazrul will join it as the chief guest. 

Adviser for Posts, Telecommunications and Information Technology Ministry and Information and Broadcasting Ministry Md. Nahid Islam will inaugurate the procession. 

On August 30, a discussion will also be held at 2pm at the Dhakeshwari National Temple.

Adviser for Religious Affairs Dr. A. F. M. Khalid Hossain will join it as the chief guest while Adviser for Adviser for Youth and Sports Ministry and Labour and Employment Ministry Asif Mahmud Shojib Bhuyain will inaugurate it.

Mahanagar Sarbajanin Puja Committee President Jayanta Kumar Deb will chair it. 

International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) took a three-day programme from today at Swamibagh Asram in the capital to mark the festival. The programme includes recitation from Srimad Bhagavad Geeta, performance of devotional songs, vog arati, distribution of mahaprashad, discussion, cultural function.  

The festival will also be celebrated in temples across the country with different programmes.

Bd-pratidin English/Tanvir Raihan