Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 30: Gopashtami was observed across the Jammu region on Thursday, coinciding with Kartik Shukla Ashtami in the sacred month of Kartik.
The occasion was marked at several Gaushalas, temples and rural hamlets as devotees worshipped and garlanded cows besides offering them fresh fodder amidst traditional rituals.
Pertinent to mention that that Gopashtami commemorates the divine moment when the youthful Krishna, as “Gopal” or protector of cows, was first sent to graze and tend cattle.
On this day, worship is offered both to cows and to Krishna in his pastoral form. The ritual has cultural, agricultural and spiritual dimensions, especially in agrarian and herding communities.
At the ?mbphalla Gaushala, devotees gathered early in the morning to bathe and adorn the cows with garlands, vermilion, sandal paste and fresh fodder, following the traditional ritual of worship.
In many rural pockets of Jammu, the day turned into a local fair of sorts-devotees brought fresh fodder for cows, small children offered chapatis, and local volunteers cleaned up the cowsheds and painted the horns of calves with bright colours.
Devotees woke up before sunrise, took a holy bath, and proceeded for puja. Then cows and calves were bathed, decorated, offered fresh fodder, jiggery and chapatti while parikrama was done three or seven times, and Diyas were waved before the cows.
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