Krishna Janmashtami celebrates the birth of the Hindu deity Krishna. This year, the holiday falls on September 2. The festival celebrates Krishna’s playful and often mischievous youth. For example, one tradition recalls a story of young Krishna mischievously grabbing a pot of butter, so participants climb each other to form human pyramids, and teams compete to be the first to reach and break a suspended pot of butter.
By learning more about each other’s holidays and traditions, URI members build bridges of understanding and unity. In the photo above, a group of British Indians celebrates Janmashtami with an interfaith group. “Britain and India celebrate a multi-faceted, bilateral relationship based on shared values and common perceptions,” writes URI Global Council Chairperson Kiran Bali, MBE JP of the celebration. “We join in prayer for healing and hope in a world full of conflict and turmoil.”