Bhubaneswar, 04 September (H.S.): Odisha joined devotees across the country in celebrating Janmashtami 2026 with religious fervour and traditional rituals, marking the birth of Lord Krishna.

The festival is observed on the Ashtami Tithi of the Krishna Paksha in the month of Bhadrava. Temples across the state have organised special puja and devotional programmes, with the birth of Lord Krishna scheduled to be observed at midnight.

In Puri, special rituals have been arranged at the Shree Jagannath Temple to mark the occasion. Public darshan at the Srimandir will remain restricted from 7 pm until midnight, beginning after the evening Dhupa Bhoga Chheka arrives and continuing until the completion of the Shri Krishna Janma ritual.

Meanwhile, the ISKCON temple in Bhubaneswar has made elaborate arrangements for the festival. The temple premises have been specially decorated, while additional arrangements have been put in place to manage the expected gathering of devotees.

Devotees across Odisha are observing the festival with prayers, bhajans and religious rituals, creating a spiritually charged atmosphere on the occasion of Janmashtami.

Hindusthan Samachar / Monalisa Panda