On Saturday, 12 September 2026, my wife and I went to the Shree Krishna Janmashtami Celebration at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo, organised by Hindu Society Bendigo. The visit was completely spontaneous. I had been at another event the night before and got to bed very late, so Saturday was supposed to be a much quieter day. We already had other things planned, and I was honestly thinking more about getting home early and catching up on sleep than going anywhere else. Then I saw the event poster and noticed one part of the program that immediately caught my attention: Uri Adi.
I had seen Uriyadi many times over the years in movies, documentaries and short videos on social media, but I had never experienced it in person. It was not something I would describe as a dream or a major bucket-list moment, but it was something I had always been curious about. Whenever I saw it on screen, I wondered what the atmosphere would actually feel like standing there among the crowd. So when I realised it was happening right here in Bendigo, I showed it to my wife and we decided to change our plans for the day and go. I assumed we would stay for a little while, watch Uriyadi, take a few photographs and come home early. Instead, we stayed until the end.
The weather could not have been better. It was a beautiful sunny day, and the grounds around the Great Stupa were full of families, colour and activity. People had come wearing different traditional outfits, and there were children beautifully dressed as Shree Krishna, some with peacock feathers, jewellery and colourful costumes. Around the grounds were food stalls, devotional activities, music and tables with books and other cultural material. There was a relaxed community feeling throughout the event. People were talking, eating, watching the program and spending time together, while the Great Stupa provided such a unique setting in the background.
Before Uriyadi began, there was a ceremonial and devotional part of the program. A large number of chairs had been arranged for people to sit and watch, and for a while we simply stayed there and followed what was happening. Later, the chairs started being removed and the space began to open up. More people moved closer, families gathered around the edges and the mood changed as everyone realised Uriyadi was about to begin. For me, that moment was probably one of the most exciting parts of the day, because something I had only ever seen through a screen was suddenly happening just a few metres in front of me.
Seeing Uriyadi in person was very different from watching a short clip online. The video normally shows the main action, but being there lets you experience everything around it — the cheering, the laughter, the anticipation and the reactions from people watching. That atmosphere made it much more enjoyable. Uriyadi is traditionally connected with stories of young Krishna and his love of butter, curd and other dairy foods kept in pots, and over time different forms of the pot-breaking tradition became part of Krishna celebrations in different regions. Watching it within the wider Janmashtami celebration made much more sense than simply seeing it as a game. It was playful and fun, but it was also connected to the devotion and cultural story behind the day.
We also spent time walking around the event, looking at the different activities and taking photographs whenever something caught my attention. Because I was there as a visitor rather than working as the official photographer, I could actually enjoy the afternoon with my wife and take photos without feeling that I had to document every single part of the program. I photographed the colour, the people, the children dressed as Krishna, the crowd around Uriyadi and some of the quieter moments happening around the grounds. We also stopped at one of the food stalls and had vadai with sambar, which became another small part of the afternoon we enjoyed.
By the end of the program, the quick visit I had imagined earlier in the day had turned into a full afternoon. After the ceremony and activities, prasadam was offered, and we received some there as well as a small packet to take home. That felt like a meaningful way to finish the day. Prasadam is not simply food handed out at the end of an event; it carries a spiritual significance because it is connected with worship and then shared. Receiving it after spending the day watching, learning and experiencing the celebration gave the ending a quiet sense of gratitude.
Looking back, I find it interesting that the whole day happened because of one small line I noticed on an event poster. I went mainly because I wanted to experience Uriyadi in person, but the afternoon became much more than that. It was the sunny weather, the colourful clothing, the children dressed as Shree Krishna, the devotional atmosphere, the books, the food stalls, the families, the laughter and finally the prasadam at the end. It was simply a very good experience to be part of, and I am glad we changed our original plans and went.
These are some of the photographs I captured from the Shree Krishna Janmashtami Celebration at the Great Stupa of Universal Compassion in Bendigo on 12 September 2026.
— Lens & Moments
