Bhubaneswar, Aug. 17: From kids dressing up like Lord Krishna to an artist making a tiny replica of the deity of rice grains, colourful programmes were organised to celebrate Janmashtami.

The festival celebrated to observe the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna began early morning with devotees flocking to various temples to offer prayers. The Iskcon Temple and Ram Mandir witnessed a huge footfall.

“Many temples and schools organise competition on the occasion where children are asked to don the garb of Krishna. The tiny tots sport a flute in their hands and peacock feathers on foreheads. They are asked to sing, dance and answer simple questions about Krishna,” said Sunita Sahoo, a homemaker who had brought her five-year-old son to Saraswati Sishu Mandir.

In Puri, artist Bibeka Nanda Naik, a 46-year-old artist, made a three-inch small idol of Krishna with rice grains. It took him 25 days to make it. “I took one grain at a time and fixed them meticulously on each other to get the look,” said the artist who lives in railway colony. Though Naik has painted deities on a single grain of rice in past, this was the first time he attempted an idol. Naik, who has been pursuing the art form since 1988, has imparted training to his three teenaged children as well. “There have been lucrative offers from buyers, but I want to keep the miniature idol,” he said.

The festive fervour was equally high in other parts of the state. In Kandhamal, the festival passed off smoothly today amidst tight security. Swami Laxmanand Saraswati was killed in 2008 and the incident triggered widespread violence in the area.