Krishna Janmashtami also called Gokulashtami is a grand festival celebrated all over India to commemorate the birth of Lord Krishna. According to the Hindu calendar, the festival is celebrated on the Ashtami of Krishna Paksha (waning phase of the Moon) or the 8th day of the dark fortnight in the month of Bhadrapad.
According to the Gregorian calendar, Krishna Janmashtami is celebrated in the month of August or September. Shri Krishna Janmashtami date varies every year.
Most of the time, Krishna Janmashtami is listed on two consecutive days. The first one is for Smarta Sampradaya and the other one is for Vaishnava Sampradaya. This year, it will be celebrated on August 30 and 31.
He was born to Vasudev and Devki, who was imprisoned by Devki's evil
brother Kansa and was brought up by Nand and Yashoda. The birth of Lod
Krishna is believed to be symbolic of our imprisonment in worldly
illusions, where He took birth with us and led us to salvation and
peace, vanquishing all evils depicted by Kansa in the story.
Krishna Janamashtami | Happy Janamashtami wishes Images
Rituals of Krishna Janamashtami:
People fast on this day, usually a waterless fast.
They spend the day immersed in Shri Krishna's glory by reading,
reciting, and singing his divine Leela especially in the evening in mandirs. Temples of Lord Krishna are decorated most beautifully and children are adorned as Lord Krishna and Radhika, his spiritual beloved.
Krishna Leela or the plays depicting scenes from Krishna's life,
especially childhood, are performed. At midnight, the Lord's birth hour,
aarti is performed. He is also installed in the form of 'Lalji' (child form) in a swing and devotionally offered many sumptuous food dishes.
'Makhan' (butter) is especially included since Shri Krishna loved this in childhood. The traditional prasad is 'Panchajiri' - made of five ingredients: powdered ginger, 'sugar, coriander, sugar, and ghee. Other ingredients include poppy seeds (Khas Khas) and desiccated coconut shavings. The most popular ceremony of Dahi-handi (breaking a pot full of
milk and its derivatives} takes place on the second day.
The Ceremony of Dahi-Handi:
During this ceremony, a large earthenware pot is filled with milk, curds, butter, honey fruits, etc., and is suspended from a height
between 20 to 40 feet. Sporting young men and boys come forward to claim this prize. To do so they construct a human pyramid by standing over
each other's shoulders till the pyramid is tall enough to enable the
topmost person to reach the pot and claim the contents after breaking
it. Normally, currency notes are tied to the rope by which the pot is suspended. This prize money is distributed among those who participate in the pyramid building.
This ceremony replicates Krishna's love for milk and butter. In
his childhood, Lord Krishna along with his mates used to raid the
houses of his neighbors in search of milk and butter.
