Preparations for Janmashtmi celebrations are not in place at Varanasi's famous Khatu Shyam Mandir. There is a last-minute scramble to erect a stage, where the idols of Lord Krishna were to be placed before devotees started arriving for evening prayers. Head priest Sanjay Hazari is personally leading the effort this year. In the previous years, help was at hand from hundreds of volunteers who would turn up. This year, it's just a trickle.