Janmashtami, the festival marking the birth of Lord Krishna will be celebrated across the country today. The main celebrations will take place in Mathura in Uttar Pradesh and Dwarka in Gujarat.

Various temples across the national capital have also been decorated with colourful lights and flowers to mark the occasion. President and Vice President have greeted people on the occasion.

In his message, President Pranab Mukherjee said, Lord Krishna’s life and teachings emphasize the importance of performing one’s duty without thought of reward, of different paths leading to the same goal and of the importance of ethical and moral values to society. He called upon people to commit themselves to follow the path of virtue and righteousness in thought, word and deed.

In his message, Vice President Hamid Ansari said, the eternal message of performing the duties with sincerity without attachment to the results bestowed by Lord Krishna in the Bhagwad Geeta has been a source of inspiration for the entire humanity. He hoped that the auspicious day will bring peace, amity, harmony and prosperity in people’s lives.