Laddus, Chaklis And Festive Fervour Grip Udupi Ahead of Janmashtami

Udupi: Around 1.5 lakh chakkulis (chakli) and nearly 1.5 lakh unde (laddu) are being prepared for the Sri Krishna Janmashtami celebrations in Udupi, with nearly 80 cooks working to make the traditional prasada for devotees expected to throng the temple town.

Udupi is gearing up for the main celebrations on September 4 and 5, with cultural and religious programmes organised by Paryaya Sri Shiroor Math already underway for nearly a month.

According to writer and scholar of the Math Ashwath Bharadwaj Kabbinale, the main celebrations will begin on the night of September 4 with the traditional Janmashtami rituals at Sri Krishna Math. After midnight, when the moon rises, the Paryaya Peethadhipati will perform the Mahapuja and offer Arghya to Sri Krishna.

Thousands of devotees are expected to gather for the midnight ritual, with devotees also getting an opportunity to offer Krishnarghya to the deity.

The following day, September 5, will see Udupi come alive with Vittlapindi, or Krishnaleelotsava, the traditional celebration associated with the childhood of Sri Krishna. At around 3 pm, a clay idol of Krishna will be taken out in a procession on a golden chariot.

Traditional Mosaru Kudike by the Gollas and performances by folk-art troupes will be among the highlights of the procession.

A traditional Mallayuddha demonstration by invited wrestlers has also been arranged on a special stage in front of Sri Shiroor Math at the insistence of the Paryaya Sri Shiroor Math seer.

On the day of Vittlapindi, special Annasantarpane will be organised for devotees after the Mahapuja, along with the distribution of special prasada. Around 1.5 lakh chakulis and about 30,000 each of five varieties of unde (laddu) will be prepared. A variety of sweets and savouries made using around 20 quintals of jaggery and seven quintals of sugar will be among the highlights of the prasada distribution. Janmashtami prasada will also be distributed to local schools. Around 80 cooks are involved in preparing the unde (laddu) and chakkuli for the occasion. Volunteers are assisting in packing the prasada.

The month-long celebrations, being held under the banner ‘Jagadodeyana Janmashtami Sambhrama’, have included various competitions for school and college students, devotees and mutt staff. A traditional Hulivesha (Tiger dance) competition has also been organised, with Paryaya Sri Shiroor Math seer Sri Vedavardhana Teertha Swamiji announcing a prize of Rs 1 lakh for the winner.

The celebrations will continue on September 6 with a Koti Tulasi Archane (One Crore Tulasi Archana) at Rajangana for the welfare of the nation and the world.

Meanwhile, the police have made elaborate security and traffic arrangements for the celebrations, with more than 300 police and Home Guard personnel, besides KSRP and DAR contingents, fire and emergency teams and drones deployed to manage the crowds.

Udupi SP Hariram Shankar said the deployment includes one Superintendent of Police, one Additional SP, two DSPs, six Police Inspectors, 25 Police Sub-Inspectors, 35 Assistant Sub-Inspectors and 186 head constables, police constables and women police personnel. Another 50 Home Guards will also be on duty.

For additional security, one KSRP platoon and nine DAR platoons have been deployed. Three fire and emergency response teams, two ambulances and three drone teams will also be stationed during the celebrations.

Seven parking areas have been identified for devotees arriving in vehicles — MGM Grounds, Sri Krishna Matha Rajangana parking area, Ammanni Ramanna Shetty Hall parking area, Beedinagudde Grounds, Beedinagudde Stadium, Vidyodaya School parking area and Mandavi Royal Garden parking area.

Additional personnel and volunteers have been deployed at crowded locations to regulate the movement of people and ensure the safety of women and children.

Security surveillance has also been strengthened, with CCTV cameras installed at 45 additional locations across the city. Twelve public address systems have been arranged to relay announcements and instructions to devotees.

The police are also using fingerprint scanners to identify and monitor people with a history of involvement in criminal activities, while drone cameras will be used to keep watch over the entire festival area.