Thousands of brightly dressed families descended on Watford on Sunday for the huge Hindu festival, Janmashtami. The annual celebration marks the birth of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu, and brings Hindus from around the world together.
Music and prayer were central to the event held at Bhaktivedanta Manor Hare Krishna Temple in Patchetts Green on the outskirts of Bushey. With tens of thousands attending every year, it is believed the be the one of the largest Hindu festival gatherings outside of India. Late Beatle, George Harrison donated the estate which holds the event to The Hare Krishna Movement.
Speaking to the Watford Observer, Srutidharma Das, Temple President of Bhaktivedanta Manor said: 'The manor was gifted to us by George Harrison in 1973 and it carries on his legacy of sharing ancient wisdom and cultural richness of the east. The festival message is simple and universal, through love we connect, we belong and we transcend. The festival promotes the importance of love and community in what is today a very diverse society and is only made possible with the help of 1,500 volunteers.'
