Sri Krishna Janmashtami

Sunday 25 August 2024
Monday 26 August 2024

Without a free ticket we will be unable to permit entry

FAQ & Info

Sri Krishna Janmashtami is the appearance day of Lord Sri Krishna, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. The birth of Lord Krishna is one of the biggest celebrations of the year, celebrated all over the world.

Krishna means “the all-attractive one”. He is the cause of all causes, the Supreme personality of the entire creation, both material and spiritual, He is the God of all gods, and the Lord within everything and separate from everything at the same time. This is the day devotees celebrate His beautiful pastimes, His presence in their lives, taking time to remember their eternal loving relationship with Him and His presence within all of our hearts.

The celebration of Sri Krishna Janmashtami is the largest festival held at Bhaktivedanta Manor with as many as 50,000 people attending over the course of the two days.

Every visitor can expect a festival in the truest sense with something for everyone – a large stage program filled with entertainment, dramas, kirtan, and music, an opportunity to explore the bazaar’s wide-range of devotional items, a popular food tent to purchase your snacks, a children’s area for fun activities, as well as free meals served throughout the day.

And of course, most importantly, is the chance to take darshan of their Lordships Sri Sri Radha Gokulananda on the appearance day of Sri Krishna. Absorb yourself in chanting, meditate on Krishna, and come together with your friends and family to mark this most auspicious of occasions.

TBC

Darshan of Lord Krishna

Take the next step in your spiritual journey by developing a relationship with Krishna and offer your respects and prayers to Him on His birthday. Please be advised there may be a queue.

Main Stage / Entertainment

Cultural program consisting of kirtan, dances, dramas, music, and more for all to enjoy.

Prasadam

Full prasadam (sacred food) served from 12pm onwards.

Krishna Land

Fun for the children with dances, dramas, face painting, henna, games, quizzes, bouncy castles and prizes.

Kirtan Tent

Chant, dance, and be uplifted as we sing the names of the Lord accompanied by instruments.

Japa Meditation

Take a moment to re-align yourself with some Japa meditation. Chanting on beads, you will walk around the 108 steps – focusing on the Holy Name with each step.

Cows / Bulls

Say hello to our cows and bulls at New Gokul Farm – you can also feed them and offer a puja!

Pandava Sena – Youth group

Feel like you’re stuck in the rat race? The Pandava Sena aims to portray this prevalent issue through the arts, offering a purposeful, dynamic community aimed at sparking a change. If you are a curious teenager then come and find out what Pandava Sena can offer the you

Radharani’s Cafe

Freshly prepared hot pizzas, chips, samosas,dosas, drinks and other snacks to purchase

Spiritual Books / Go Matsya

Explore the rich spiritual Heritage of India and the Bhagavata Purana.

Bazaar

Have a browse of our many items to spiritualise your homes or to help in your practice of Bhakti. We have jewellery, gift items, spiritual books and much more.

Farm Shop

On your way out, pick up some organic home grown vegetables and other farm produce.

Veda

We have a gift for you this Janmashtami – The gift of knowledge, a free course.

Tulasi House

Take Blessings of Tulasi, the foremost devotee of Krishna.

Forest Walk

Step into Vrindavan for a few moments on your way to take darshan.

When you visit Bhaktivedanta Manor it’s important that you preserve and respect the sanctity of this place of worship. Bhaktivedanta Manor is the home of Lord Krishna, a place of daily worship that provides spiritual knowledge and upliftment

Dress Code
As with most places of worship, guests are expected to dress modestly.

Shoes
Please remove footwear upon entering any part of the Temple building. Shoe racks are provided.

Children
Children are welcome. However, visitors aged 14 and under must be accompanied by a responsible adult at all times.

Smoking & Alcohol
Smoking & vaping is not permitted on the grounds or in the buildings.
No alcoholic drinks or beverages containing caffeine e.g. coke, tea, coffee allowed on the premises.

Food
Food (Prasad) can be purchased from the cafe or is available for all at set times. Non-vegetarian food is strictly prohibited – this includes fish, eggs, onion and garlic – or any food with these ingredients included.

Parking
We have free car parking for our visitors while they visit the temple, no overnight parking is allowed.

Photography / Copyrights / CCTV
You may take photos/videos for personal use.* The Management may take photographs, video recordings and / or other monitoring that may feature visitors/ volunteers and other personnel. The copyright and all other intellectual property rights for these materials rests with the Management or such authorised third party.
CCTV cameras operate on the premises
* For non-personal use please seek permission by emailing media@krishnatemple.com.

Access for dogs
In order to maintain the atmosphere of sanctity on the Temple grounds, the following policy is now in place:
As much as we love all animals, with the exception of guide dogs, no dogs on site.

Right of Entry
The Management reserves the right to refuse admission to those who do not follow the guidelines.

£1 per person for a ticket – taking you from Stanmore Station to Bhaktivedanta Manor and back. The reason for the cost is to ensure your space is guaranteed and that an accurate use of bus spaces can be planned ahead of time.

Your bus ticket will work as an entry ticket for the festival if using the service. Please do not book a separate entry ticket for the festival. We encourage you to use this service as parking at Bhaktivedanta Manor is limited, and this will allow more visitors to partake in the celebration.

Bus Times (pick up from Stanmore)

Thu: 11am-5pm

Sat: 11am-5pm

Sun: 11am-5pm

(Last Bus returns from Temple at 8pm each day)

FAQ

Where do I go at Stanmore Station?

Please wait just outside Stanmore Station. Our ground volunteers will be there to guide passengers.

Do I need a separate ticket on festival days?

On public festival days, your shuttle ticket will act as your entry ticket, so no need to book separately.

If we come a bit later then the ticket booked will you be able to accommodate us?

If there are spaces on the coach then yes, however priority will be given to ticket holders who booked on the coach at that time

What′s the minimum age that a ticket is needed for?

All passengers require a seat including babies. If they chose to sit on a lap then their seat does not become vacant for anyone else. All coaches will have seats with 3 point seatbelts. No standing is allowed on the coach therefore we can only accommodate 45 passengers at a time including adults, children and babies.

Is the pickup only from Stanmore?

Yes the shuttle will only be available from Stanmore station .

Is the bus wheelchair accessible?

We don’t have wheelchair accessible vehicles, if passengers with disabilities are able to board and unboard without the wheelchair we can stow their folding wheel chair for them in the lockers under the vehicle. We cannot accommodate electric wheelchairs.

Can I buy tickets at Stanmore?

Tickets can only be bought Online

This is a complimentary service provided by Olympia coaches

Queries

For any shuttle bus queries please contact us via WhatsApp – click here

Will there be free parking?

Yes, there will be free parking available in the fields.

Is there parking available for wheelchair users?

When arriving, please make the requirement for wheelchair accessibility known to the car park volunteers so they can direct you to the correct area which will be closer to the festival site and with a smoother surface to navigate. If there are no spaces left in this area, then a buggy will be able to help facilitate your travel to the festival site from the car park – please refer to ‘parking if you are a disabled badge holder, elderly or pregnant’ question for more details on the buggy system.

Is there special parking available if you are a disabled badge holder, elderly, or pregnant?

We are unable to facilitate a special parking area, given the amount of guests and cars we are catering for, however we operate a buggy system on the fields – This will help assist visitors who may struggle to walk the long distances or the uneven surface of the field. When arriving, please let the car park volunteers know that you will require a buggy to collect you from your car and take you to the festival. A buggy will also be able to take you back to your car when you wish to leave by waiting at the buggy area on the festival site (this will be where you were dropped off).

Directions

Please visit our Directions page here

Janmashtami queries not answered on this page

contact us via WhatsApp – click here

Tickets

To help ensure that every pilgrim, visitor & well-wisher is able to have a pleasant experience, we require you to book a ticket. Without a ticket, we will be unable to permit entry, so please ensure that you do book.

Frequently asked questions

– By booking your time slot, this helps us create a better and smoother experience for you, with shorter queues and more space to participate in the festival.

– Reduces heavy traffic in the surrounding area, making it easier for you to attend and creates less disruption for locals and non festival-goers.

– Helps us to be less wasteful, as we can prepare appropriate quantities of resources and prasadam (sanctified food).

A ticket is required to enter Bhaktivedanta Manor from 10am onwards.

Please note: No entry between 8am-10am as final preparations will be made before opening to the public. This is due to the safety of people onsite. During this time only volunteers and staff will be given entry.

Tickets are not required for children under 5.

In order to enter Bhaktivedanta Manor on this day, a ticket is required. If tickets are still available, we may ask you to book a ticket online via your phone. If not you will not be allowed entry into the festival site.

Yes. You are welcome to come to Bhaktivedanta Manor before 8am. But if you arrive during the event time (8am – midnight), then you will need an entry ticket to enter Bhaktivedanta Manor, as without a ticket in those times, you will not be allowed entry. If you arrive before 8am, you will be allowed to stay for the rest of the day without a ticket.

Please note: No entry between 8am-10am as final preparations will be made before opening to the public. This is due to the safety of people onsite. During this time only volunteers and staff will be given entry.

After your fist booking, you can book again, choosing the same time slot, make two or more separate bookings to ensure your full party has tickets.

If you are looking to bring a large number of people via a coach, then please contact info@krishnatemple.com with your date, quantity of people, and coach confirmation.

You are welcome to stay and enjoy the festivities for as long as you like. Your ticket time only relates to your arrival time.

If you arrive 30 mins before or after your booked arrival time, then you will still be allowed entry. Any earlier than that, we may ask you to please come back later, closer to your booked time. Any later than that, we will try our best to accommodate you, but it may not be possible to allow entry due to limited parking. Please arrive as close to your booked arrival time as possible.

If you are having trouble cancelling the tickets, please email us at ticket@krishnatemple.com and we’d be happy to do it for you. Similarly, if any family members also have tickets that they won’t be using, please let us know so that we can cancel their ticket and make it available to others.