Devotees throng Adalatganj pond for boat fest

Patna: The city witnessed a unique spiritual celebration on Sunday as Iskcon Patna organised its first-ever ‘Boat Festival’ at Adalatganj pond. The pond was transformed into a grand spiritual venue with nearly 400 tonnes of flowers brought from Cambodia, Thailand, Bengaluru, Kolkata and Delhi.The programme began at 6pm with ‘kirtans’, followed by a grand ‘palanquin’ procession carrying the deities of Radha-Krishna from the temple to the pond. Thousands of devotees joined the procession. A special ‘aarti’ and offerings of 56 ‘bhog’ items were also performed.The main attraction of the evening was a swan-shaped boat measuring around 20 feet in length and six feet in width. Decorated with nearly 50 varieties of flowers and decorative lights, the boat featured a specially designed pavilion for the deities. Radha and Krishna were seated on the platform for the Jal Vihar ceremony.Organisers arranged additional boats and sought assistance from the NDRF to ensure safety during the event. Experienced boatmen from Kerala were invited to sail the decorated boat carrying the deities across the pond for nearly two hours.Kirtan teams from Vrindavan and Mayapur performed devotional songs throughout the programme, while devotees danced and sang along. Free entry was provided and halwa-puri ‘prasad’ was distributed after the event.Iskcon Patna regional secretary Bhakti Prachar Parivrajak Swami Maharaj said the festival is celebrated at Iskcon temples across the world to inspire devotion and spiritual awakening among devotees.Temple Management Committee (TMC) co-chairman Adikarta Das said Lord Krishna’s water sports form part of His eternal divine pastimes and inspire devotees towards spiritual growth.Another TMC co-chairman, Raman Manohar Das, said the festival encouraged devotees to embrace spirituality in everyday life.Other TMC members present included Rishi Kumar Das, Radhapati Charan Das and Venu Vinod Das.