Indian expats in Taipei enjoy night of inner peace at deity birth celebrations

台北印度外籍人士在神靈誕生慶祝活動享受內心的寧靜之夜

The event marks the birthday of Indian deity Krishna


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) – Nearly 100 Indians living in Taiwan braved the rain to celebrate the birth of Indian deity “Krishna Janmashtami" in a festival held at Chientan Youth Activity Center on Sept. 8.

The event featured traditional Indian dance “Kathak,” mantra singing of “Hare Krishna Hare Rama,” and a mini-marketplace selling Indian-style merchandise from sarees, carved wood elephants, to “bindi” – colored decorative stickers worn on the forehead by women.

Krishna, one of the avatars of the deity Vishnu in Hinduism, is a major Indian deity. The god is often portrayed dressed in yellow pants, wearing a peacock-feather wreath, and holding a flute. Alternate icons of Krishna depict him as a child with black or blue colored skin.


Krishna (Image from Flickr)

To mark one of the most important occasions of Hinduism, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) invited musician Haribhakti Dey to lead the mantra singing while playing a folk instrument called the “Dholak.”

The fest also included photo opportunities where visitors were allowed to take pictures donning traditional silk sarees and suits to create unforgettable memories.

Saurabh from the Indian city of Jaipur, who participated the celebrations, told a Taiwan News reporter that he felt great joy meeting with his compatriots in a calm atmosphere and having Indian delicacies in a country thousands of kilometers away from home.


Traditional Indian sarees (Photo by Saurabh Singh)