Cassandra Fernando (Holt, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I was blessed to join the Hindu community at the BAPS Shri Swaminarayan temple in celebrating Krishna Janmashtami last evening. Janmashtami celebrates the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna, the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu, who descended onto the earth to uphold righteousness in the face of evil. Lord Krishna is significant to Hinduism, particularly for his role in narrating The Bhagavad Gita, which is often considered a synthesis of various aspects of Hindu philosophy. Yesterday's celebrations were incredibly joyous. As a part of the festivities, devotees participated in grand rituals, collective prayers and making offerings to Lord Krishna.

For those who may not know, BAPS is a global socio-spiritual and volunteer driven organisation that is represented in over 20 countries. BAPS is engaged with the broader community through a wide array of activities which focus on spiritual living, selfless service to humanity, cherishing culture and developing ourselves as individuals.

I was delighted to be with BAPS in observing Shri Kishna Janmashtami yesterday. I look forward to celebrating more festivals with them in the future.