Bhaktivedanta Manor’s spectacular 2009 Janmashtami festival is expected to attract over 70,000 pilgrims to observe the birth of Lord Krishna on earth. Visitors will walk through the newly completed New Gokul complex, making their way to the colourful festival site. The main marquee will host cultural dances and musical extravaganzas. Over 50,000 pilgrims will eagerly queue up in anticipation to greet Sri Sri Radha Gokulananda in the temple shrine. The flowered walk-way around the lake will light up at night, depicting Krishna’s youthful activities.

The festival’s focus will be Ahimsa, the campaign to provide farms for cows and their calves, where they are not slaughtered but are given the dignity to live and roam freely as they please. The festival will actively encourage visitors to make steps towards settling for nothing less than “Ahimsa Milk”, or milk that comes from cows that have been treated fairly.

Throughout the day, kitchen staff will work solidly, preparing 50,000 plates of prasad (vegetarian food) that will be distributed freely to all pilgrims. A dedicated children’s area will feature a mini ‘main marquee’ where children will perform carefully prepared shows and dances. An array of stalls will display art and literature, while there will also be themed marquees providing lifestyle tips, such as a cruelty-free diet and a reduced environmental footprint. Dilip Patel, the Festival Coordinator, says, “we hope the festival will be very successful because of the devotion and dedication of the volunteers and the meticulous planning which has been going on since the day after last year’s festival.”