Janmashtami, the festival celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna, holds profound significance for actress Jaya Bhattacharya, best-known for her role as Urmila in Sun Neo’s popular show ‘Chhathi Maiyya Ki Bitiya’. As the festival draws near, Jaya takes a walk down memory lane, sharing vivid recollections of her childhood celebrations and her plans for the upcoming Janmashtami.
Reflecting on her childhood in Lucknow, Jaya reminisces about Janmashtami being a time of boundless joy and creativity. “We used to create jhankis (elaborate decorative displays) using colored sawdust to depict various scenes, much like the decorations seen during Ganpati festivals,” she recalls with a smile. Among her fondest memories is the traditional sweet panjiri, a delightful mix of whole wheat flour and nuts. “We had so much fun with it, taking massive handfuls and playfully blowing it out of our mouths while making sounds like ‘phoo phaa’. We truly created a joyful mess while thoroughly enjoying ourselves,” she shared, her eyes sparkling with the memories. The celebrations spanned throughout the night, culminating with the Jan Ka Utsav at midnight, followed by exuberant singing and dancing.
Jaya’s nostalgia brings with it a sense of melancholy as she reflects on the modern-day celebrations of Janmashtami, which she feels lack the same magic. “Today’s festivities feel so artificial and rushed. In those days, every family or group of families would come together to create jhankis. There was a sense of community, a collective joy that seems somewhat lost now,” she lamented, longing for the communal spirit of the past.
This year, Jaya will be celebrating Janmashtami on the set of ‘Chhathi Maiyya Ki Bitiya’. “We’ve already started preparing for a special episode,” she reveals, noting that her work in many ways is a form of worship. She adds that quoting Lord Krishna from the Bhagavad Gita guides her daily actions.
. “I focus on performing my duties without worrying about the outcomes,” she said, highlighting her philosophical approach to life.
Her inclination towards helping others stems, she believes, from a family tradition of kindness and service—a set of values instilled in her from a young age. In her role on ‘Chhathi Maiyya Ki Bitiya’, Jaya feels she can express these values. The show, which airs on Sun Neo from Monday to Saturday at 7 PM, is a poignant family drama centering around Vaishnavi, an orphan who worships Chhathi Maiyya as her mother. The narrative focuses on the perennial theme of the triumph of good over evil and the transformative power of faith, featuring a stellar cast that includes Devoleena Bhattacharjee, Sara Khan, Jaya Bhattacharya, Brinda Dahal, and Ashish Dixit.
Discussing her role and the show, Jaya notes how the themes resonate deeply with her own beliefs. She sees her work as part of a larger purpose, contributing to spreading messages of hope, faith, and goodness. As viewers tune in, she hopes that the show’s values will inspire them to uphold similar ideals in their own lives.
As Janmashtami fast approaches, Jaya prepares to balance her professional commitments with her personal celebrations, seamlessly intertwining her dual roles. Her reflections offer a charming glimpse into the timeless beauty of this festival and its impact, while also casting a thoughtful eye on its modern-day observance.
Not lost on Jaya is the balance between tradition and progress. As she brims with excitement for ‘Chhathi Maiyya Ki Bitiya’s’ special Janmashtami episode, she conveys her wishes for everyone to experience a joyous and meaningful celebration. Whether bustling with activities on set or quietly remembering the colorful jhankis of her childhood, Jaya Bhattacharya’s spirit remains a tribute to the enduring essence of Janmashtami.
And as the festival arrives, it serves as a reminder of the core of human connections and collective creativity, elements that Jaya fondly cherishes and strives to carry forward in both her life and work. The hope is that in remembering these bonds, Janmashtami can once again become a festival of shared joy, uniting people just as it did in Jaya’s childhood, celebrating not just the birth of a deity but also the spirit of community and creativity that encompasses it.
