Imphal: Amid the ongoing conflict, the Hindu community celebrates Sri Krishna Janmashtami on 4-5th September with devotion. Young devotees performed Raas Leela of Sri Krishna and Radha at ISKCON Temple in Bishnupur with joy and pride.
Northeastern states like Assam, Manipur, Tripura celebrate Janmashtami in a very unique way. In Assam, the holy Hindu month of Bhadra is a month-long celebration in all Satras and Naam Ghar. Devotees perform, as per the Vaishnavite ritual, Naam-Prasang in the entire month and Janmashtami is always a special day.
But very few places in the Northeast celebrate Krishna Janmastami quite the way Manipur does — and that’s because here, the deity isn’t confined to temple walls. He lives in dance steps, drumbeats and stories passed down through generations of performers.
At the heart of the state’s Janmashtami celebrations stands the Shree Shree Govindajee Temple in Imphal, where devotees begin arriving well before sunrise and the festivities stretch on till late at night. Similar scenes of devotion unfold at the ISKCON Mandir and at Gopinath Mandir in Bishnupur — the latter recognised by Manipur Tourism as one of the state’s key centres for celebrating Krishna’s birth with pomp and grandeur.
Talking to News agency ANI, young Sri Krishna devotee Sinam Priya Devi who performed Diba Raas said, Diba Raas depicts the bonding of Bhagwan Krisha and Radha Maa in Vrindavan along with the Gopis with dance, songs and a lot of devotion. We are so happy.
But scratch beneath the surface of temple rituals, and Manipur’s bond with Krishna reveals itself in something far more woven into everyday culture — its art. Manipuri Ras Leela, the classical dance form centred on the divine love of Radha and Krishna, remains one of the state’s most treasured performing traditions. Alongside it, Sankirtana — a devotional practice built on song, drumbeats and cymbals — keeps the Krishna narrative alive through rhythm and voice rather than just prayer.
This blend of devotion and artistry was on full display during last year’s Janmashtami festivities in Imphal, when a Ras Leela performance featuring children in the roles of Krishna and Radha became one of the standout moments of the celebration.
The emotion of Manipur with Bhagawan Sri Krishna is unique. It runs through the veins of the Manipuri people. Krisha is not only a God devotees bows before. It is a sacred relation based on culture, faith and heritage. No matter how tough the time is, the love for Sri Krishna in the form of art, dance, songs and culture makes Manipur rich with passing times. So every generation of the state learns to perform in devotion to Sri Krishna which is not only a subject to know, but a true love to show.
