12:40pm Sunday 9th August 2009
By Amie Mulderrig
Next weekend, over 65,000 people are expected to visit the Bhaktivedanta Manor temple near Radlett to celebrate Janmashtami , a Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Krishna.
The festival, which is open to everyone, is to be hosted at the temple donated by late Beatle George Harrison, set in 78 acres of fields, woodland and lake outside Letchmore Heath.
The tradition of worshipping Krishna, believed to be an incarnation of Vishnu, is associated with protecting cows so this year's theme for the festival is the symbiotic relationship between man, cows and the environment.
From noon on Friday, August 14, festival guests will be able to pass through a new farm complex, dubbed New Gokul, which will act as a blue-print for compassionate and sustainable farming. The devotees hope this new farming system will change the way people think about how their food is produced.
Farm manager Stuart Coyle said: "I have noticed people are beginning to care more about what they consume and how it got to their plate.
“The belief in the old adage you are what you eat shows the change in people’s awareness and that they are beginning to care more how food is produced than the packaging and hype.
"At this new farm complex people will learn about new ethical techniques of farming which will sustain it into the next century.”
Ending on Sunday, August 16, the annual festival attracts families who enjoy the exhibitions, music, drama and free vegetarian food. This year's highlights include a flower walkway through spiritual gardens, beautiful statues of deities surrounded by 23-carat gold leaf and woodlands around the lake.
Chairman of the temple board Pranabandhu Das said: “The festival is the showpiece of our devotion to Lord Krishna and that of 1,500 volunteers who have helped to make this festival such a success every year.
"With creativity and devotion, our volunteers have strived to produce yet again something different and spectacular.
"I am sure all our pilgrims and visitors who come will be uplifted spiritually. “
Organisers are advising people to come to the manor off Hilfield Lane , Aldenham, at off-peak times, as there will be considerable traffic from 5pm to 9pm on Friday and from 2pm to 6pm on Sunday.
Further information about the festival is on the temple website: www.krishnatemple.com
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