Dear Friends of Lord Krishna,
Please accept the blessings of Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Chandra. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
It has been a long year for us without being able to see all of you regularly. But by the grace of Lord Krishna, life is finally getting back to normal. West Virginia will be lifting the pandemic restrictions soon, just in time for our main festival season! We’ll be holding special events like Ratha Yatra, Jhulan Yatra, Balarama Purnima, and more, all leading up to the king of all festivals, Sri Krishna Janmashtami!
Janmashtami is the celebration of Krishna’s divine appearance in this world. It is the most important day of the year to come to the temple for darshan of the Lord. After all we’ve been through, we certainly have much to thank Krishna for and still so much to pray for, as countries like India, where many of you have friends and family, are still struggling in the battle against Covid-19. Janmashtami is the perfect day to approach Sri Sri Radha Vrindaban Chandra in person and offer worship and heartfelt prayers. Just as Arjuna won the Battle of Kuruksetra due to the presence of Lord Krishna on his side, we need to invite Krishna to be present in our lives so that we can emerge victorious from the pandemic and all its subsequent challenges.
How to make Krishna more present in our lives? The scriptures explain that Krishna is attracted when we hear about Him, remember Him, worship Him with offerings and prayers, and especially when we chant His holy names. Although it is recommended that we do these devotional activities every day, Krishna makes Himself especially accessible on holy days like Janmashtami.
Although Krishna does not have a material body like us and is therefore said to be unborn, still, by His own sweet will, He appeared in Mathura, India over 5,000 years ago. At that time, He put an end to demonic activities and protected His devotees from all danger. Similarly, when we come together to celebrate Krishna’s birthday, if Krishna is pleased with us, He will certainly appear in our hearts and in our lives by His own transcendental potencies and protect us from all danger.
With this in mind, we eagerly invite you to attend this year’s Janmashtami celebration. Come and greet Lord Krishna, see His beautiful smile, and now that the mask mandate will be lifted, let Him see yours! Let’s make Janmashtami 2021 a special one by taking full advantage of the opportunities to serve and support the festivities. Please reach out to our Janmashtami festival team to see how you can participate or donate so we can make this the best Janmashtami ever for the pleasure of Lord Krishna.
Thank you. Hare Krishna!
Your servant,
Jaya Krsna das
Temple President