Residents of the state capital are in for a grand Janmashtami celebration this year, courtesy International Society for Krishna Consciousness (Iskcon).

Iskcon will organise a function at Srikrishna Memorial Hall this Friday. “We will organise Srikrishna Janmashtami Mahamahotsava on August 10. The puja will be held at Srikrishna Memorial Hall. Devotees from various parts of the country and abroad will attend the celebrations,” Iskcon president Krishna Kripa Das said on Tuesday.

“The members are committed to making this year’s celebrations a success. The atmosphere on the day will be different and people will see the beauty of the Srikrishna Janmashtami Mahamahotsava. Aarti and kirtan will start at 6.30pm and the puja will be inaugurated by lighting the traditional lamp at 7.30pm.”

Iskcon temple construction committee secretary Lok Prakash Singh said: “Mahabhishek (a ritual to mark Krishna’s birth) will be done at 12midnight and 108 silver kalash (pitchers) will be used for the puja. At 9pm, Iskcon president Krishna Kripa Das will address the devotees.”

He added that bhajan singers Shailendra Bharti (from Mumbai) and Dipali and Sonali (from Bhopal) would grace the occasion.