About 100 ASU students helped celebrate the Phoenix Hare Krishna temple's seventh-annual Janmastmi holiday last week.
Approximately 1,000 devotees gathered at the temple to celebrate Janmastmi, which Laxman Das, the vice president of the temple, described as a special event for Hindus around the world that celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna.
ASU students helped choreograph events for a cultural show, which exhibited the talent of local youth. The youngsters performed various dances and skits that showcased the importance of the holiday.
Later, a lecture examined various aspects of the Hindu culture. Not only did the speaker portray the importance of the holiday in spoken word, he also depicted Janmastmi in various hymns that psychology junior Nidhi Bhalla said kept the audience entertained.
"The way the speaker encouraged us to join in and sing the hymns along with him brought a sense of unity throughout the group," Bhalla said.
The ASU students who attended the event were also immersed in the lecture, although many volunteered to serve prasad, an offering of blessed food.
Deep Arora, a computer science graduate student, volunteered his time at the event to get to know more about Lord Krishna, one of the gods of Hinduism.
Another major activity of the evening was abhishek, when devotees washed a golden statue of Krishna and Radha with milk and butter to prepare him for his birthday. Milk and butter are preferred over water because legend has it that Krishna loved milk and butter. At midnight, devotees gathered in the main hall and sang various hymns.
Vivin Paliath, a computer engineering senior, attended the event hoping to retain his culture.
"I celebrate this event not only for the religious aspect of the holiday but also to celebrate the rich and vibrant culture of India, which has evolved over thousands of years," Palitath said.
Palitath was also one of the many who fasted during the holiday because he said it teaches him to appreciate things that he can possibly take for granted.
The temple's volunteers said they thought culture is a dying trend on college campuses around the world, so they organized amenities for the average college student, such as a shuttle service to the event.
Reach the reporter at jenifer.javia@asu.edu.
