The Govinda Temple in Jersey City will celebrate the birth date of Lord Krishna, the eight incarnation of the Hindu deity Vishnu, on Sunday, Aug. 17, with a prayer service and festive ceremony.
The deity’s 5,126th birthday is observed throughout the world by millions and it marks the start of a new year.
The ceremony, which begins at 8:30 p.m. at the temple, located at 783 Newark Ave., will include traditional Indian food, music and dancing.
“The temple celebrates our god, Lord Krishna’s birthday, with much grandeur,” said Paromita Chakravarty, director for the Nrityalina Center for Performing Arts, whose students will perform Sunday night.
Last year, a small figure of Krishna was placed at the center of an altar decorated in various colors and surrounded by flowers and ornaments. Attendees were blessed by High Priest Haresh Pathak and shared in a prayer for a blessed new year.