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Digital Janmashtami: How Technology Made Krishna Celebrations Even More Amazing

 What do you think is crazy? My grandma still calls my smartphone a "magic box." Now, while I join the same Janmashtami celebration from my apartment in Delhi, she does it from her home in Pune. Technology has not taken the place of traditional devotion; instead, it is made it easier to access and connect with than ever before!



I was unsure the first time I went to a virtual temple darshan during COVID-19. How could seeing a screen be the same as being in a temple? But when the ISKCON Vrindavan live stream started at midnight and I could hear thousands of devotees singing together and see the beautiful aarti in HD quality, I was completely spellbound. Sometimes technology shows us beauty that we might not see in crowded places.

Temple visits in virtual reality are getting more and more real. Last year, I took a VR tour of the Dwarka temple, and for a few minutes, I really felt like I was walking through those old halls. It is not meant to take the place of real pilgrimages, but for people who can not go because of health, money, or other reasons, it is a huge blessing.

This beautiful global community has grown out of the social media part of modern Janmashtami. I follow hashtags like #JanmashtamiJoy and #KrishnaBhakti and see celebrations from devotees in Australia, Canada, and Europe. It is like being at a huge birthday party for Krishna all over the world! The candid family moments are always my favorite posts. Kids dressed as Krishna, grandparents teaching bhajans, and homemade decorations that look charmingly imperfect.

YouTube is now a great place to learn about traditional practices. I found these great videos by real practitioners when I wanted to learn how to do aarti correctly or understand what certain rituals meant. After following along with online tutorials, my bhajan singing got a lot better. My neighbors might not agree, though!

The apps that are out now are also amazing. There are apps that send you Krishna mantras with beautiful music all day long, apps that help you make digital rangoli patterns, and even apps that help you meditate on Krishna consciousness. My favorite alarm clock plays soft bhajan music that gets louder over time to wake me up for morning prayers. It is much better than a loud alarm clock!

During the pandemic, people started sharing digital prasadam, and I love it! People share pictures of their homemade gifts and recipes, making this virtual community kitchen where we are all cooking for Krishna and spreading the love. This way, I have found so many tasty traditional recipes, and I have even had virtual cooking sessions with friends where we all make the same dish "together" over video calls.

People who could not go to Janmashtami before can now watch temple ceremonies live. Everyone can now be part of real celebrations, even older people who can not travel, parents with young children who can not go at midnight, and international devotees who do not have temples nearby. Every year, my friend in Tokyo comes to our local temple's midnight aarti.

The chances to learn are also great. There are so many ways to learn more about Krishna's teachings, like online courses, virtual study groups that talk about verses from the Bhagavad Gita, and webinars that talk about the historical importance of different festivals.

Technology makes the kids more interested, too. It is great how developers are making ancient wisdom available to digital natives. For example, there are educational apps that teach Krishna stories through games, augmented reality features that let kids "see" Krishna in their own rooms, and interactive coloring apps with spiritual themes.

What I love most is how technology has made traditional things better instead of taking them away. We still get together in person when we can, make our own offerings, sing together, and share prasadam. But now we can also include loved ones who live far away, learn from teachers we would not have been able to meet otherwise, and connect with other devotees from all over the world.

What I would do? Use digital tools to make your celebration better, but do not let them take your attention away from the actual devotional experience. You can learn, connect, and share with technology, but do not forget that the most important thing is to have a personal heart-to-heart connection with Krishna that goes beyond any medium.

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