Sindhu, Sakshi ‘poster girls’ for Janmashtami celebrations at Krishna Janmasthan temple

AGRA: Along with images of Lord Krishna, photos of Olympic medallists P V Sindhu and Sakshi Malik will feature on posters put up by Mathura's Sri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sansthan (KJSS) for the upcoming Janmasthami festivities. The aim, KJSS said, is to urge devotees to save and educate the girl child.



The Sansthan manages the celebrated Krishna Janmasthan temple built at the spot at which, according to mythology, Krishna was born.



"The two young girls (Sakshi and Sindhu) bagged medals at the Rio Olympics when all others failed," the KJSS' secretary Kapil Sharma said. He said by using the two athletes' photographs, the Sansthan wanted to fight female foeticide and debunk the misconception that girls are inferior to boys in any way.



Sharma said during the Janmashtami celebrations, lakhs of devotees will descend on the temple town from across the world. So, this was the best opportunity to put across this message to them. "We want people to make a firm resolution that they will never kill girls in their mothers' womb, educate them and not discriminate against them with respect to boys," he said.



Sharma said this year's celebrations would also witness a mix of technology and mythology. He said Krishna's birth will be portrayed by having his idol emerge from an electronically controlled silver lotus. The mechanism has been devised by artisans from Varanasi, Mathura and Rajasthan.



KJSS member Gopeshwar Nath Chaturvedi said Lord Krishna would be offered a 'bhog' (offering) of 4,655kg (125 'maunds') of laddoos and 'mewa pag' (a sweet dish). He said giant TV screens will be put up around the temple premises. This will ensure that devotees get a view of the rituals and celebrations under way in the sanctum sanctorum.