Jamkhandi : For the first time, Krishnarati was celebrated on Monday night by the riverside near Hipparagi Barrage in Jamkhandi taluk, inspired by the Gangarati celebrations held on the River Ganges in North India. The event was organised on the occasion of former minister Murugesh Nirani’s 59th birthday.
The Varanasi-based Gangarati troupe performed a two-hour Aarti Puja, accompanied by the youth brigade teams of Kaveri Aarti from Nanjangud. Thousands of people, including farmers from the Krishna riverbanks, attended the event.
The celebration featured Aarti Puja on a stage next to the river and on a boat in the river, followed by the decoration of the Hipparagi Barrage and riverside with lamps. Pandits from Varanasi led the Puja, which began with Sankhanada.
The event also included cultural programs such as Bharatnatyam, and offerings of sweets and Udi to the river. To make Krishnarati an annual event, farmers have decided to form the Krishnarati Seva Samiti and donate to it. Minister-in-charge R.B. Timmapura, MLA Siddu Savadi, and several religious leaders attended the celebration.