Janmashtami Date for 2015 - 5th September, 2015.
Commemorating the birth of Lord Krishna, the festival of Janmashtami is celebrated with great ardor and enthusiasm all over India and even abroad. According to the great Indian epic, Mahabharata, Lord Krishna was born on the eighth day of the dark half of Hindu month, Shravana. Thus the festival of Janmashtami is observed on the eighth day after the full moon of Shravana. The first day of this majestic and colorful festival is called Krishnashtami or Gokulashtami and the second day is known as Kalastami or Janmashtami. As the cities of Mathura, Vrindavan and Dwarka have been associated with Lord Krishna himself, the festivities in these places are more fervent and splendiferous as compared to other places. The image of the infant Krishna is bathed in milk and is cradled at midnight, precisely the hour according to the legends Krishna was born in. The conch shell is blown and the devotees celebrate the birth of the great savior and the supreme soul who was born to enlighten and steer the human race towards righteousness.
Though different traditions and customs associated with the celebration of Janmashtami may slightly differ in different regions of the country, the spirit and the essence remain the same. On this auspicious day 'Ras Leela', depicting Krishna dancing and playing with the Gopis is held all throughout the country in which devotees participate with great zeal and ardor. Especially in Brij, Mathura & Vrindavan devotees and tourist from all across the country gather to witness the grandeur and the magnificence of the celebrations. In some parts of the north India and western India, Krishna Jayanti is celebrated for three days. On the second day of the festival 'Dahi Handi' is organized which is a popular custom, where the pot containing curd or butter or milk is broken by the youths. Singing Krishna chants and reading and recitation of the Bhagvata Geeta and Geet Govindam are some of the indispensable traditions of this festival.
Though different traditions and customs associated with the celebration of Janmashtami may slightly differ in different regions of the country, the spirit and the essence remain the same. On this auspicious day 'Ras Leela', depicting Krishna dancing and playing with the Gopis is held all throughout the country in which devotees participate with great zeal and ardor. Especially in Brij, Mathura & Vrindavan devotees and tourist from all across the country gather to witness the grandeur and the magnificence of the celebrations. In some parts of the north India and western India, Krishna Jayanti is celebrated for three days. On the second day of the festival 'Dahi Handi' is organized which is a popular custom, where the pot containing curd or butter or milk is broken by the youths. Singing Krishna chants and reading and recitation of the Bhagvata Geeta and Geet Govindam are some of the indispensable traditions of this festival.
Birth of Lord Krishna
Lord Krishna was born to bring an end to the tyrannical and savage king, kamsa as it was prophesized. Though, the date of birth of Krishna can't be stated with certainty but the Hindu scholars believe it to be somewhere between 3200 and 3100 BC. As described in the Hindu epic Mahabharata, it was the eighth day of the dark half of Shravana.
Janmashtami Rituals
The festival of Janmashtami celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna on earth is one of the most important Hindu festivals and is celebrated with great gaiety and devotion. Observing the birth of one of the most revered Hindu gods, the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the festival of Janmashtami has been associated with innumerable customs and traditions. People observe fast without water
anmashtami in Vrindavan & Mathura
Janmashtami is celebrated to commemorate the birth of one of the most revered Hindu gods Krishna, the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Though, the festival of Janmashtami is celebrated all throughout the country with immense zeal. But, in Vrindavan and Mathura where this Hindu deity was born and spent his formative years the splendor and zeal surrounding the festivities is unmatched.
Popular Places
Janmashtami is one such festival that is celebrated equally in North and South India. Preparations for the same start weeks in advance. Different parts of the country celebrate the festival differently. In South India, the celebrations are most prevalent in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. In both the places, the idol of Lord Krishna is placed in a decorated mantapa. Bhakshanam (snacks and sweets in Sanskrit), are specially prepared for the festival, and offered to Lord Krishna. Along with it, fruits that are his favorites are also offered. In some parts of Karnataka, chakli, avalakki and bellada panaka are prepared especially for the festival. In North India, celebrations are no less than being called extravagant and splendid. While Gokul and Vridnavan (Lord's birth and growing up place) witness flocks of visitors coming to the place to celebrate the festival at Krishna janamabhoomi, the other parts organize different events and practice different rituals to mark the occasion. In the cities of Mumbai and Pune, dahi-handi is organized wherein a group of men form human pyramid to reach a high-hanging pot of butter and break it. In the city of Dwarka in Gujarat and the eastern states of Orissa and West Bengal, people celebrate it with fasting and doing puja at midnight. Though the rituals practiced vary from one region to the other, the spirit and devotion to the Lord is same everywhere. Thus, it wouldn't be wrong to say that Krishna is the most loved and celebrated God in India.
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