Barsana laps up festive cheer in run up to Radha Ashtami

A wave of festive gaiety and religious fervour is sweeping Barsana as it gears up to celebrate Radha Ashtami with pomp and splendour.
Elaborate arrangements have been made to observe the occasion on Sept. 2 and security has been beefed up to handle the lakhs of devotees who are set to take part in the festivities.
"One hundred extra buses would ply along the different routes to Barsana. At the temple, to avoid any untoward incident, the pilgrims would be allowed to pay obeisance to the deity in small groups," said ADM Dhirendra Pratap, the 'Mela' officer for the festival.

The religious programmes associated with Radha Ashtami will start with 'Sangit Samaj' on Sept. 1. The pilgrims will then gather for the main function in the wee hours of Sept. 2.
"Like for Sri Krishna Janmastami, on Radha Ashtami, too, there is tremendous religious fervour in the temples of Mathura, Vrindavan and Rawal.
"But Radha Ashtami has got special significance in Barsana and, like Holi, it is celebrated jointly by the residents of Barsana and Nandgaon," said Sushil Kumar, the priest at Nandgaon temple.
In Vrindavan, the centre of attraction will be the Bankey Behari, Radha Ballabh, Radha Damodar and Radha Shyam Sundar temples.