Thiruvananthapuram: The streets and temples of Kerala were adorned with vibrant celebrations as thousands of infant Sreekrishnas and Radhikas filled the state on Sri Krishna Janmashtami Day. The festivities were organized by Balagokulam, the world’s largest children’s movement, which hosted thousands of Shobhayatras across Kerala, marking the occasion with grandeur and joy.
The Shobhayatras, a traditional procession that has become synonymous with Janmashtami in Kerala, saw participation from hundreds of thousands of children dressed as Sreekrishna and Radhika. These processions, a staple of Janmashtami celebrations in the state for the past 50 years, brought the spirit of Brindavan to life, transforming Kerala into a vibrant playground for the young deities.
Union Minister George Kurien flagged off one of the prominent Shobhayatras in Thiruvananthapuram, where he also delivered a speech emphasizing the cultural significance of the event. Janam TV Managing Director Chengal Rajasekharan Nair was also present and addressed the gathering, highlighting the impact of Balagokulam in nurturing cultural values among the youth.
In another part of Thiruvananthapuram, Dr. Mohan Kunnummel, Vice Chancellor of Kerala University, flagged off another Shobhayatra, contributing to the widespread celebrations in the city. Meanwhile, in Thrissur, Union Minister Suresh Gopi took part in the festivities by flagging off a Shobhayatra, with Kalyan Silks Chairman and Managing Director Pattabhiraman also in attendance.
Kochi witnessed the participation of M.A. Krishnan, a senior RSS Pracharak and the founder of Balagokulam, who played a pivotal role in the movement’s growth and its impact on Janmashtami celebrations in Kerala. The event in Kochi was further graced by the presence of former Union Minister V. Muraleedharan.
Notable figures across the state, including Kottayam Medical College Superintendent Dr. T.K. Jayakumar, former GST Principal Commissioner Dr. K.N. Raghavan, and Palakkad Municipal Chairperson Prameela Sasidharan, joined in the celebrations, along with several film personalities, adding to the event’s prominence.
Shobhayatras hit the streets of not only the major and metro cities but also villages and countrysides. Participating children danced on the streets during shobhayatras. Youths added the flavour to the shobhayatra by kaavadi dance. And, tableaus contributed to the beauty of shobhyaras. Youths’ enthusiastic participation is an important factor for the tremendous success of the celebration. Mothers of the participating children, girls and workers of the Sangh-inspired organisations participate in large numbers. Therefore, colourful shobhayatras took place even in villages and towns where Sangh does not have any organisational presence. Children have accepted it as their own celebration; therefore, come what may, they wait for the entire year waiting for the next shobhayatra after every year’s celebration.
In Muslim majority district of Malappuram, Shihab Master, a Muslim dance teacher trained girls of Balagokulam. For Shihab Master, basically an Oppana (Muslim dance form) teacher, training the girls belonging to Balagokulam is a dream come true. The girls trained by Shihab Master made the shobhayara, flagged off from Indiannoor Maha Ganapati temple, colourful. Even though Shihab Master has been teaching dance for the last 17 years, this is the first time he trains girls to dance for Janmashtami shobhayatra. He trained 17 girls after seeking and obtaining the permission of the Ganapati temple authorities. Temple authorities were all smiles to comply with his request. He trained them for 20 days.
Until Balagokulam declared Janmashtami as Bala Dinam (Childrens’ Day), Janmashtami was a mere ritual in Sreekrishna temples in Kerala. Since, the inception of Bala Dinam and shobhayatras, Janmashtami has turned a popular and social festival in the state. Government declared Janmashtami a holiday for schools few decades ago, thanks to the consistent requests of Balagokulam leadership. On top of the weekly classes on Bharatiya epics and culture, Shobhayatra is a significant programme which is capable of character building among children. Therefore, Keralites cutting across party lines send their children to shobhayatra. Even non-Hindus have started to send their children for the programme.
Balagokulam, a Sangh-inspired organisation, is the largest children’s movement in the entire world. Even though it was launched in Kerala and spread throughout the length and breadth of the state, it gradually grew to the major cities of Bharat where Keralites enjoy comfortable presence. Then it spread to all continents in the world. In the year 2000, Balagokulam got membership of the Global Network of Religions for Children (GNRC), the international forum of NGOs for teaching the children religious lessons.
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