Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav said that the life of Lord Krishna was never easy. From the very moment of his birth, when attempts were made to kill him, his journey from Kanha to becoming ‘Shri Krishna Vande Jagatguru’, who imparted the knowledge of the Shrimad Bhagavad Gita to the world, was marked by immense struggles and difficult circumstances. Despite facing difficult and challenging circumstances, he never shied away from challenges and devoted his life to the welfare of humanity.
Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said that Lord Krishna never remained attached to worldly possessions or relationships. After encountering a particular person or object in his life, he never returned to it after moving on. It is universally acknowledged that the knowledge of the Gita, which was meant for the welfare of the world, emerged from the divine words of Yogiraj Lord Krishna. He said that Lord Krishna was a master of 64 arts, 14 branches of learning and the 18 Puranas.
Chief Minister Dr. Yadav was addressing the audience at the Raas Leela Festival based on the childhood pastimes of Lord Krishna, organised at Ravindra Bhavan on Wednesday evening. He performed a special aarti of the artists portraying Radha and Krishna in a live tableau and received their blessings. The Chief Minister appreciated the performances by artists who had come from distant places and encouraged them. He also extended advance greetings to everyone on the occasion of Hal Shashti and Janmashtami.
Chief Minister Dr. Yadav said that Lord Krishna had a deep connection with Madhya Pradesh. He came to Madhya Pradesh, where he received his education and training and transformed from Kanha into Lord Krishna. He said that the State Government is identifying all places in Madhya Pradesh associated with Lord Krishna’s footsteps and developing them as Shri Krishna Teerths. The Chief Minister said that he himself would visit Dwarka in Gujarat on September 3.
Minister of State for Culture, Tourism, Religious Trusts and Endowments (Independent Charge) Shri Dharmendra Singh Lodhi, MLA Shri Bhagwandas Sabnani, Mayor Smt. Malti Rai, Executive President of Tulsi Manas Pratishthan Shri Raghunandan Sharma, Chief Minister’s Cultural Advisor Shri Shriram Tiwari, Director of Culture Shri N.P. Namdev, other public representatives and a large number of spectators were present at the Raas Leela Festival.
Seven-Day Raas Leela Festival
The Culture Department is organising a grand seven-day ‘Raas Leela Festival’ at the open-air theatre of Ravindra Bhavan. Each day, the enchanting childhood pastimes of Lord Krishna are being presented in an aesthetically appealing manner. A large number of spectators are attending the festival every day to witness these performances and listen to devotional renditions by renowned bhajan singers from across the country.
The Culture Department aims to showcase the ancient folk-art tradition through this state-level event, connect it with the younger generation and promote it among the general public.
On the fifth day of the festival, traditional artists from Braj presented episodes depicting Shri Govardhan Leela and the prelude to the Raas. The Raas Leela was directed by Shri Madhav Acharya, who came from Mathura.
The programme began with a presentation of Govardhan Leela by the artists. Presented in the Braj dialect, the episode was highly engaging. Govardhan Leela is one of Lord Krishna’s childhood pastimes and represents a remarkable confluence of nature, community life and devotion to God.
When the people of Braj were preparing to worship Indra, young Krishna explained to them that they should be grateful to Govardhan Mountain, cattle and nature, which sustained their lives. Following Krishna’s advice, the people of Braj worshipped Govardhan. Angered by this, Indra unleashed torrential rains, putting Braj in great danger. To protect the people of Braj, Lord Krishna lifted Govardhan Mountain on his little finger and provided them shelter beneath it.
This Leela conveys the message of humility overcoming arrogance, faith overcoming fear and gratitude towards nature overcoming indifference. Indra’s arrogance was humbled, and he acknowledged the glory of Lord Krishna.
Following Govardhan Leela, the melodious notes of Krishna’s flute and the Gopis’ profound and unwavering love for Krishna set the stage for the Raas. Raas Leela is not understood as worldly love, but as a symbol of the spiritual union between the individual soul and the Supreme Being and of unwavering devotion. This sentiment is expressed with profound emotion in the Raas Panchadhyayi episode of the Shrimad Bhagavatam.
The Gopis being drawn towards Krishna upon hearing his flute symbolises complete surrender to the Supreme Being, rising above worldly attachments. Thus, while Govardhan Leela conveys the messages of protection, love for nature and the destruction of arrogance, the prelude to the Raas marks the beginning of a journey of devotion, love and surrender, in which the relationship between the devotee and the Lord transforms into the highest spiritual experience.
An Evening of Krishna’s Love Woven through Devotional Melodies
The fifth evening of the Raas Leela Festival was filled with devotion, love and spiritual emotion. Smt. Roopali Kusumkar and her accompanying artists from Jabalpur presented devotional songs in melodious voices, creating an atmosphere immersed in love for Lord Krishna, the performances brought together diverse streams of India’s spiritual tradition through music. Devotional songs such as Shri Krishna Govind Hare Murari, Ek Radha Ek Meera, Tere Baghair Sanwariya, Shyam Teri Bansi, Mukut Sir Mor Ka, Om Namah Shivaya and Ram Siya Ram filled the hearts of listeners with devotion and joy. From the love of Radha and Krishna to devotion to Lord Shiva and Lord Ram, the performances brought together diverse streams of India’s spiritual tradition through music. Shri Gagandeep and Sonali Kusumkar provided vocal accompaniment. Shri Sunil Soni on keyboard, Shri Shubham on octapad, Shri Shanu on drums, Shri Philip on guitar and Shri Anand on dholak provided instrumental accompaniment, making the musical presentation even more captivating.
