Breaking Janmashtami fast with sewain is their ritual

Lucknow:

Shri Krishna

is his dear Lord and Janmashtami one of his favourite festivals. For

Shahnavaaz

, aka Munna, "He provides me my daily bread. I would be nothing without His blessings."

Munna's family has been running a wholesale business of Krishna Leela costumes in

Aminabad

for three generations now. He himself has been celebrating Janmashtami with gaeity ever since he joined the family business at the age of 14.

Back then, his father

Mohammad Rafeek Rahman

and uncle

Mohammad Shahbaz

ran the business and Munna convinced them to celebrate all the festivals they sold costumes for. "From Munna's grandfather

Saaki Rayil

to Munna and his brothers, our three generations have the expertise in making Krishna's costumes and accessories," said Munna's uncle Shahbaz.

"We love what we do. Janmashtami and Diwali are as important to us as Eid," said Munna. The businessman who stopped going to school after he joined the business has his family's complete support in what he does. "I make sewain on every Janmashtami," said Uzma Bano, Munna's wife who even fasts on the day.

This Janmashtami, they have a special

Krishna jhula

(swing) embedded with gems, pearls and LEDs and water flowing inside it. It is very popular this year along with mor-pankh (peacock feather), mukut (tiara), flute (bansuri) and Balgopal's (infant Krishna) idols. "School kids start coming a month in advance to book their Krishna dresses. Artists from Sangeet Natak Academy, Bhartendu Natya Academy and various other organizations approach us for costumes of Radha, Krishna and Kans every Janmashtami," he added.

Apart from Lord Krishna's costumes, Munna's store also rents out

Dandiya

dresses and sticks during Navratri and white kurtas on Holi. As to why his store is called Sangam, Munna said, "We try to blend both the cultures. It is the place where

Islam

meets

Hinduism

." (With inputs from

Urooj Khan

)

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