We celebrated Sri Krishna Jayanthi/Janmashtami at Shanthi Mandir on Saturday, August 24, 2013 from 6:30 p.m.-12:00 a.m. We had a full house at the Mandir, and cars were quickly moved to overflow parking areas. There were a lot of newcomers. Welcome to you all, and we hope to see you back at the Mandir soon.
The celebration started with the devotional program at 6:30 p.m. Hema and Anandhi conducted the puja with masterful recitation of slokas. Several singers sang bhajans, contributing to the wonderful ambiance of the evening. A group of children sang songs, Kavin played the violin and a large group of “gopis” presented a dance depicting Krishna’s pranks. The cultural program was followed by aarti. Around 8 p.m., before it got dark, all the children and adults went outdoors and formed a human pyramid to crack open the “matki” with sweets. With some help from the adults, the matki was broken and everybody got their fair share of candy. 
The devotional and cultural events were followed by prasad and a sumptuous potluck dinner cooked by volunteers. A small group of devotees stayed on after dinner to sing bhajans till the midnight aarti.
We hope to see all of you again for the next big event at the Mandir – Ganesh Puja.
