Janmastami, the moment of appearance of the most loving god Krishna in this world, started its grand ceremonial journey from Chittagong in the country. It dates back to only 1390 Bengal era (1983 Christian era). So this is the 26th year of observing the Janmastami in the largest scale. But crores of Hindus both men and women over the globe have been observing the sacred birth of Lord Krishna for thousands of years with due devotion, solemnity and enthusiasm.
It is one of the major festivals performed by the Hindus. Shri Shri Janmastami Udjapan Parishad (committee for observation of the birth of god Krishna) organizes the festival in a befitting manner at the J M Sen Hall ground in the city. They chalk out four-day programmes to mark the sacred moment of His arrival onto this earth. The government of Bangladesh has declared it a public holiday. The JM Sen Hall ground turns into a trysting-place and takes a festive look with gathering of people irrespective of faith. Grand observance of the Janmastami is now a major part in the life of the Hindu population in the capital city Dhaka and other places as well, in the district and upazila levels.
The Hindus in general and those involved in organizing the festival in particular, apart from worship and other religious activities, have also tried to uphold a bond of fraternity among all through revival of Krishna consciousness and social refinement. We will be ungrateful if we don't name two pioneers who first conceived of such a ceremonial observance of the Shri Krishna Janmastami in Chittagong 26 years back. They are Dinesh Barman and Bidhan Chandra Bhaumick, then government employees in the police department. They expressed the idea harboured in their mind to Mridul Kanti Dey and Sujit Kumar Biswas - local businessmen. With no delay the businessmen ventilated the idea to Principal Ranajit Kumar Chakraborty and Professor Aurdhendu Bikash Rudra - both religious scholars. They had communication with some other Hindu devotees. To observe the festival that year the organizers had a series of meetings with the district administration, police administration, the then mayor of Chittagong City Corporation and local head of power development board and had consultations with the Hindus from different professionals, which included teachers, lawyers, journalists, physicians and businessmen. Millions of people from different parts of Greater Chittagong participated in the Janmastami. Hindus from all walks of life extended their helping hands to make the occasion a grand success. Since then thousands of people throng the venue every year. The huge procession of devotees with decorated mechanized vehicles, elephants and hackney-carriages in the front has become one of the most colourful features Chittagong witnesses every year. Different amorous sports of the playful god Krishna are featured in the procession.
However, it cannot be denied that the people in different villages of Greater Chittagong have been observing the Janmastami in their respective localities amid religious fervour and enthusiasm over the century. There are some villages, take the example of Haidgaon under Patiya upazila, where the locals have been observing the Janmastami for over one hundred years. No doubt these festivals have drawn thousands of people from the surrounding localities although these festivals remained unfocused for obvious reasons. On the occasion of Janmastami here in the city the organizers take up people's welfare programme such as blood donation, reception to students for their academic excellence, financial assistance to the distressed and victims of natural calamities and communal savagery.
Images featuring different amorous plays of Lord Krishna in Vrindabon, Mathura, Kurukshetra and Dwaraka are placed around the J M Sen Hall ground. The main programme of the festival includes inaugural assemblage, grand procession on the principal day, religious discussions, dramatic performances and Nam-Sangkirtan rendered by professional troupes. Attendance and deliberation of the head of state or government have presented the function an extra colour. It was late Mizanur Rahman Chowdhury, prime minister of Ershad Government who first addressed the huge gathering of the Hindu devotees as chief guest. Former first lady Begum Raoshan Ershad was the second VVIP to attend the function as chief guest. She declared the Janmastami as a public holiday of Bangladesh which was one of the major demands of the Bangladeshi Hindus. From the subsequent year the Janmastami has been a public holiday of the country. Former prime minister Begum Khaleda Zia addressed the function as chief guest in 1995 and donated taka five lakh to repair the Hindu Mondirs devastated by evil forces and the money was sent through the then deputy commissioner of Chittagong AHM Abul Kashem. Former prime minister Sheikh Hasina addressed the Janmastami gathering as chief guest in 1996. Dr. Angur Bala Joshi, the then president of Vishwa Hindu Parishad, attended the Janmastami festival as guest of honour in the last decade.
Through these meetings the organizers often raised the minority problems to the political leaders of the country. They demanded that all discriminatory black laws including the Enemy (vested) Property Act be repealed, Hindu Welfare Trust be empowered by transforming it into Hindu Welfare Foundation, all communal discriminations be eliminated to bring equality in the religious education sector, adequate number of teachers be employed for Hindu religious studies in the academic institutions, Dhakeshwari Mondir be turned into National Mondir and Ramkrishna Kali Bari be re-established on its original site.
Janmastami Udjapan Parishad primarily performs two tasks - observation of the Janmastami and Radhastami festivals and the second one is Ras Utsav. The Ras Utsav also takes place at the J M Sen Hall every year. Devotees and visitors apart from the members of the diplomatic corpse attend the function as invited guests.
Pankaj Kumar Dastider
Feature Editor
The Daily People’s View
