Mysuru: The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), Jayanagar in city, is celebrating a month-long festival of lights called “Damodara Deepotsava” during the auspicious month of Karthika starting Oct. 5 (today).

This festival is being celebrated in commemoration of an enchanting childhood pastime of Lord Krishna who agreed to get bounded by the pure unalloyed love of Mother Yeshoda to a wooden grinder mortar. Devotees celebrate this sweet pastime throughout the month of Kartika by offering special prayers and lamps to Lord Damodara.

Damodara Deepotsava will be inaugurated today at 7.40 pm and there will be a special bhajan till 8 pm. From 8 pm, there will be offering of lamps.

Deepotsava, also known as the festival of lights, is celebrated in the month of Kartika (Oct.-Nov.) every year. It is a month-long festival commemorating Damodara Leela, the sweet pastime of baby Krishna stealing butter and consequently being tied to a mortar by his mother Yeshoda. In Sanskrit, “dama” means rope and “udara” means belly. Damodara refers to Krishna who was bound with a rope by Yeshoda.

During Kartika month, devotees observe strict vows (Damodara Vrata) and worship Lord Damodara by offering a ghee lamp every day. It is said that by offering a lamp to Lord Hari in the month of Kartika one gets unlimited prosperity, beauty and wealth. In this month, every day ISKCON temple is decorated with thousands of lamps, spreading transcendental radiance.