MUMBAI: Janmasthami or Gokulashtami, is a festival celebrating the birth of Krishna, avatar and narrator of the Bhagavad Gita.  For decades the practice in Mumbai has been tieing one side of a rope holding a pot filled with curd between a mosque and a building where Hindus and Muslims are living together, recreating baby Krishna’s activity of stealing yogurt hung from the ceiling in clay pots.

“Every year we celebrate all the festivals together, whether it is Janmashtami, Dussera, Deepavali, Eid or Ramazan. We celebrate every festival together with love and brotherhood,” said Hajibhai, a Muslim resident of Dadar.

“We, at this festival give the real colour of Maharashtra. The colour, which goes beyond religion, which goes beyond caste, beyond creed and beyond regionality…we respect love of prayers and whosoever comes, we are ready to lift them,” said Vijendra Awaas, organiser of the festival celebrations.

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