Iskcon Brisbane’s Janmastami is back in 2023!

Brisbane’s largest Janmastami festival is set to attract devotees and guests from all around the city at The Croatian Club,Rocklea to celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna.

On Thursday,7thSeptember, the Croatian Club Brisbane 164 Dunn Road, Rocklea will be transformed into a spectacular arena enabling festival goers to experience the magic of Janmastami. From 5pm onwards, visitors can look forward to an enthralling stage program with dramas, live music and dance; experience the cuisine of India; shop from the bazaar; and keep children entertained with fun and engaging activities.

“2022, Janmastami was mainly celebrated at The CroatianClub with good presence of peoples across the Brisbane. Devotees can stay until the midnight arati ceremony - celebrating the exact time of Lord Krishna’s birth,” explains festival organiser Mr Sheth.

“With a bigger venue, and years of experience, we’ve started working earlier to make this festival even bigger and better than previous years,” Mr Sheth said. For more than 8 years, the Janmastamiorganised by the Hare Krishna community has been headed and organised by the youth of the society. They bring innovation and dynamism to the traditional event - making it fun and appealing for people of all ages. From the decor, to the stage program, and even the different engaging activities - all aspects of the festival have a unique flavour. The festival will begin at 5pm and go on until midnight - which is the exact time of the birth of Lord Krishna - in whose honour this festival is celebrated. The stage program will consist of live music, arati ceremonies, the abhishek (ceremonious bathing of the Lords), dramas and spiritual discourses. For those that want something more interactive - they can check out the many stalls on offer, grab a sumptuous bite to eat or watch as their children engage in various fun activities at the kids stall.

“We’ve really tried hard to keep making the festival better than previous years - we want it to be an event that everyone looks forward to - not something that people are dragged along to come because of cultural obligations,” explains JalajGuwalani who has co-organised the festival for more than 5 years in a row.

“And we’ve begun to see that over the past few years - with increasing numbers, and more people attending the festival for longer periods of time. Guests are engaged with each aspect of the festival - and it’s great to see their enthusiasm and appreciation for the whole event,” comments Mr Guwalani.

Several dignitaries and prominent personalities have confirmed their attendance for this year’s Janmastami, lending their support to the Hare Krishna community and all its initiatives