Janamashtami celebrations at Mana!

Krishna Janmashtami is an annual Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. According to the Hindu solar calendar it is observed on the  eighth day or Ashtami of the Krishna Paksha (dark fortnight) in Shraavana which is the 5th month of the Hindu calendar. This loosely overlaps with August/September of the Gregorian calendar.

It is an important festival particularly to the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism. Dance-drama enactments of the life of Lord Krishna according to the Bhagavata Purana (such as Rasa lila or Krishna Lila), devotional singing through the midnight when Lord Krishna was born, fasting (upavasa), a night vigil (ratri jagaran), and a festival (mahotsava) on the following day are a part of the Janmashtami celebrations. Apart from grand celebrations in the temple town’s of Vrindavan & Mathura, it is celebrated widely in almost all states of India. 

Given the time of the year when Janmashtami occurs each year, it is accompanied by monsoons in the state of Rajasthan. This makes it a great period for short 3 to 4 day breaks for people in Rajasthan & Gujarat. Some of the best hotels & resorts in Rajasthan located in the southern part of the state enjoy special patronage from the Gujarati travellers during this period. Ranakpur in particular with its lush green surroundings, hills and rivulets makes for a very scenic holiday spot for families. The excellent road infrastructure in Gujarat and Rajasthan makes a drive to Ranakpur from cities such as Ahmedabad, Vadodara & Rajkot all the more scenic in the rains.

It is worth mentioning that the Janmashtami celebrations in Nathdwara at the Lord Shrinath ji temple are also a great attraction for people visiting Ranakpur and surrounding areas during this time of the year. Since Mana Ranakpur is located a short 2 hour drive from the temple, it is a half day excursion for those who are interested.

The festival of Janmashtami is usually marked by holidays at work places, schools & colleges in Rajasthan & Gujarat. This makes it a perfect festival for families to travel. This is particularly true in the case of Rajkot where Janmashtami breaks can extend for upto a week! Therefore, it is not unusual to find people from Rajkot in some of the best resorts in Rajasthan during these holidays. Ranakpur with its accessibility and hill station like atmosphere is also a popular choice for a Janmashtami break. Keeping this in mind, Mana Hotels has made it a tradition to celebrate this festival in Ranakpur in its own special way.

Below are some memories of how Mana Hotels has celebrated Janmashtami in Ranakpur along with the guests in the past few years!

 

[1]  Rain Dance & Swimming Pool

Something about the monsoons makes us want to spend even more time getting wet! No wonder that the Rain dance and Swimming pool at Mana Ranakpur have been the hot favorites for our guests when visiting the best hotel in Ranakpur for Janamashtami holidays. 

 

[2]  Finger licking food 

A holiday is incomplete without some lip smacking food. The chef’s at Mana Hotels make it a point to incorporate some Janmashtami special desserts for guests visiting Ranakpur during this festival. To name a few, Gujiya, Kheer, Shrikhand etc have been prepared over the years to tickle the taste buds of the guests along with the regular Rajasthani preparations such as Dal, Baati, Churma, Ker Sangri, etc.

[3]  Dahi handi

For many, the image of a human pyramid breaking a dahi handi is symbolic of Janmashtami. For those unfamiliar with this term, dahi handi is nothing but an earthen pot filled with curd. On some occasions, Mana Hotels has arranged this activity for its more adventurous guests to get into the spirit of the festival. It goes without saying that all safety measures & precautions were taken for this activity.

[4] Music & dance

Given Lord Krishna’s love for dance & music, it is no surprise that all festivities of Janmashtami are incomplete without some form of dance/music. Depending on the guest profile and demands, Mana Hotels over the years has made different arrangements ranging from Folk dances, Bhajan Sandhya, Western Music and much more to keep the guests dancing through the night.

 

[5] Animal Rides

Many families travel during the Janmashtami holidays to unwind and relax. Therefore, not everyone is looking for activities related to the festival only. Keeping this guest profile in mind, Mana Ranakpur arranges animal rides such as camel, horses, bullock carts through licensed vendors. This activity is a hit among the children in particular.

 

[6] Pottery workshops

Very few among us are able to take out time to pursue our hobby’s in the midst of work and family commitments. A holiday is a perfect time to explore such hidden talents one may have. To serve the creative side of some of our guests, Mana Hotel conducts a pottery workshop on festivals such as Janmashtami allowing people to learn basics of this art. We have found that the women traveller’s excel at this activity.

[7] Activities for children

For many parents, a good holiday is one wherein the kids have a good time. Recognizing this need, Mana Hotels makes sure to have activities for children of all age groups during festivals such as Janmashtami. To name a few, swings, T-shirt painting contents, treasure hunts etc. have been organized in the past for the younger travelers with great appreciation and success.

This year Janmashtami is on the 11th of August 2020 and Mana Ranakpur is offering attractive packages for guests wanting to visit. Please visit our website for more information.

Mana Hotels has adopted the 5C’s of #HealthyLeisure to ensure a memorable holiday for you and your loved ones.

Disclaimer: All the above activities are carried out by professionals with proper licences 
and permissions in place. No animals were hurt during the course of the animal rides in
the past. 
References: Wikipedia