krishna janmashtami festival celebration in india

       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.

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.

GovindDev Ji Temple Lord Krishna Janmashtami

The GovindDev Ji Temple is a very famous place that is very important, spiritual and religious destination for Hindus, especially for the devotees of Shree Krishna. The temple is surrounded by many gardens in which there are few beautiful chandeliers (which came from Europe) and many paintings of Indian art.

It was built in 1735 by the king, Sawai Pratap Singh II. The ceiling of the temple is made of gold and looks really beautiful. The temple was positioned and made such that the Maharaja can get a direct view from his palace (Chandra Mahal).

The Satsang Bhawan at the Govind Dev – Ji temple holds a World Record and is mentioned in The Guinness Book. It is a marvel of construction because it has the worlds widest flat roof construction with a single span of 119 feet.

The Govind Dev Ji Mandir is a sacred place that was made for the 8th avatar of Shree Krishna ji maharaj. This beautiful temple is located in the pink city of Jaipur which is a famous tourist destination. Earlier the idol of Govind Ji Maharaj was kept at the Vrindavan temple located in north Indian state of UP (Uttar Pradesh) but later on Raja Sawai Jai Singh ji brought it to Jaipur. The idol is very beautiful and it looks exactly the same like the Shree Krishna himself.

The temple is placed at a very beautiful place in the pink city area and is just between the Badal Mahal and the Chandra Mahal. Every day, exactly seven different and right times Aartis, Prashad and Bhogs are offered and Janmashtami is the most important festival here because on that day the Shree Krishna was born and is very special for me and everyone who is a devote of Govindji Maharaj.

History of the Govind Dev – Ji Temple

Chaitanya Mahaprabhu ji wanted to explore the holy place which is mentioned in Bhagvat Purana that were related to Shee Krishna ji maharaj. He visited the Vrindavan Dhaam which at that time was a jungle and then after hard work Mahaprabhu hi was finally able find the places which was mentioned in the Bhagvat Purana but sadly he couldn’t s stayed there for much time.

It has been said that Shri Roop Goswami ji along with Sanatan Goswami ji went to the city of Vrindavan to finish the sacred task started by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Finally on Basant Panchami in 1525, the GovindDev Ji himself presented himself to Roop Goswami at Goma Mandir which is a very popular at Vrindavan.But it was Maharaja S

Bajranabh, the legend

According to hindu mythology, Bajranabh is the great grandson of the Lord Krishna, sculpted with his own hand an astonishing idol of the GovindDev Ji. About 5000 years ago, it is believed that when Bajranabh was at the age of 13, he asked his grandmother that how Krishna looked and after getting a detailed description of Lord Krishna.

Bajranabh created the first image of the Krishna but the grandmother told him he needs to improve it as it looks only a little bit like the Lord Krishna but not exactly the same. So Bajranabh created second image but again the grandmother told him he still needs to improve it because it only looks half like the Lord Krishna. So then Bajranabh again cra his third and the final image of the Lord Krishna. The grandmother told him that it completely looks like the Lord Krishna. Finaly Bajranabh was very happy and image was named Bajrakrit which meaning created by Bajra.

The right time to visit or have darshan of the Govind Dev – Ji temple is during the hindu festival of Janmashtami because on that day the Lord Krishna was born and it is celebrated at the temple.

Timings for Darshan and Aarti

People are allowed to visit and do darshan and aarti which starts from 5 AM till 9 PM. The Magala Aarti starts at 5 AM and ends at 6 AM. The Dhoop Aarti starts at 8 AM and ends at around 9:45 AM. The Shringar Aarti starts at 10:30 AM and it is completed at 11:15 AM. The Rajbhog Aarti starts at 11:45 AM and continue till 12:15 PM. The Gwal Aarti starts at 5:30 PM and ends exactly at 6:00 PM. The Sandhya Aarti starts at 6:30 PM to 7:45 PM. The Shayan Aarti starts at 8:30 PM and follows till 9:00 PM.

Don’t get confused about the timings. If you are confused about govind dev ji darshan timings then you can always call us.

Festivals celebrated at the Govind Dev Ji Temple

 There are many festivals celebrated at the Govind Dev – Ji Temple but Janamashtami and Holi are the major festivals. Janamashtami is celebrated as the birth of Lord Shree Krishna and it is celebrated on Bhadrapad month  which is a month of Hindu Calendar or you can say August.

Then an anther festival is celebrated just before Holi which is simply amazing.

For the devotees of Lord Shree Krishna, after Vrindavan, the Govind Dev – Ji temple has high regards and hence devotees from different nations came here to worship Lord Shree Krishna.

Rafting On Tons dangerous places

Rafting on River Tons, the largest tributary of Yamuna, is considered the most challenging river rafting route in India. It offers one of the most technical river rafting expeditions and has plenty of rapids from grade 3 and 5, spaced with flat waters. An excellent river camping site, relaxing walks, ample angling opportunities and great white water make it an ideal getaway for adventure seekers. A selfie while rafting might not be everyone's cup of tea. HolidayIQ Traveller Ritesh says, “I had gone to Mori for a adventure trip for 4 days. it was super fun. White water river rafting in ice cold water, trekking in the nearby hills, rock climbing and rappelling.”

Roopkund Glacier Lake in Uttarakhand Most Dangerous Places

A glacier lake in Uttarakhand, Roopkund is popular among travelers as the skeleton lake, mostly because of human skulls once found at its edge. Nestled within the Himalayas, the area around this lake is uninhabited and there are no human settlements here though the unearthing of skeletons created an interest among tourists. Around 500 human bones were found in 1942 of people who have lived during the 12th century and possibly died due to some epidemic or in a hailstorm that stuck the Himalayas. This news excerpt made the place popular and vital discoveries were made until 2004. Presently, Roopkund falls on the way to the Nanda Devi pilgrimage center where pilgrims participate in the Nanda Devi Raj Jat festival held once in every 12 years.

Altitude - 5,029 meters above sea level

Best Time to Visit - May-October, winters have extreme cold temperature

Popularly referred to as the Mystery Lake, several myths exist about the skeletons found at this place. But no discoveries have been made about the civilization that thrived on its banks. The place is beautiful and the water is calm. Located at the foothills of Trishul and Nandghungti peaks, autumn is the best time to visit the place. The Nanda Devi Raj Jat festival takes place in the nearby Bedni Bugyal village during this time. Roopkund Lake remains frozen during major part of the year. With beautiful meadows and stunning backdrop of the Himalayas, trek to this place is special.

For adventure lovers, Roopkund offers a number of routes such as via Lohajung, Wan and Bhaguwabasa. The place is around 10 km from Bedni Bugyal.

Top waterfall in india Dudhsagar Falls

Dudhsagar Falls is a four-tiered waterfall located on the Mandovi River in the Indian state of Goa. It is 60 km from Panaji by road and is located on the Madgaon-Belgaum rail route about 46 km east of Madgaon and 80 km south of Belgaum

But first up, the thunderous cascading star of the visit – the Dudhsagar waterfalls. A picture speaks a thousand words. But even a thousand pictures fall short of what hit us when we first laid our eyes on these waterfalls.

Dudhsagar waterfalls (Dudh: milk, Sagar: sea) are located in the middle of a forest on the Goa-Karnataka border. It is a four tiered waterfall with different ways to reach each level. The bottom of the waterfall is accessible through the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary. The forest department runs a 4WD service through the sanctuary up to the foot of  the Dudhsagar waterfalls. This service is closed during monsoon.

Another, more popular approach is to the middle of the Dudhsagar waterfalls, through the railway tracks. We traveled in a passenger train from Madgaon in Goa to Kulem. At Kulem we boarded goods train. Some local guys agreed to be our guides and fixed us up with the motorman of the train that was leaving soon.

We stood on the edge holding on to the railing, outside the engine of the goods train. Traveling up the steep Braganza pass on the seamless tracks through a lush green forest in a rhythmic motion, with the wind in our faces, we felt one with the nature around!

The railways tracks trace a horseshoe (U) over the valley approaching the Dudhsagar waterfalls. The first glimpse of the falls is, hence, from across the valley. Our guide knew the exact point at which we would see the waterfalls. When the train got there, he started shouting “camera ready, view point, view point”.

We got the cameras all ready. The train slowly (and extremely steadily) approached the view point – and we froze. We just couldn’t take our eyes off it. At that moment, we couldn’t care about the camera, the photograph, the view point or anything else.

Hogenakkal Falls(The Niagara of India)

Located about 750 ft above sea level amidst the Melagiri Hills, Hogenakkal Falls is majestic waterfalls in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu on the river Kaveri.  It is situated in the Dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu, around 180 kms from Bangalore and 46 kms from Dharmapuri town.  Hogenakkal waterfalls are the part of river Kaveri.  At Hogenakkal, the Kaveri River creates numerous waterfalls that flow through the rocky terrain. Sometimes this waterfall referred to as the "Niagara of India". It is also called as Marikottayam by the locals. The trail to Hogenakkal Falls is very attractive, with verdant Mulberry fields, gigantic-sized Protector Goddess (Aiyanars) made of terracotta, numerous foliage in the area and the gushing sound of river Kaveri.  

The water of the falls has some special powers as it flows through the forests filled with herbal plants and shrubs. Hence it is considered as extremely beneficial for the health taking a bath in the waterfalls of Hogenakkal.  The place is famous for the medicinal power of its water.

The name of the Hogenakkal waterfall has been originated from two Kannada words – ‘hoge’ means smoke and ‘kal’ means rock.  When the water of the falls hit the rocks, generates a fine cool spray, which creates a feeling of smoke; hence these rocks have been given the name ‘Smoking Rock’.

During rainy Seasons the verdant green ambience of Hogenakkal offers a thrilling view, which makes this place a tourist hotspot.   The hills near the falls have many trails where adventure seekers can go trekking in the Melagiri Hills.

The Hogenakkal waterfalls cannot be reached by road; a boat-ride from the last motorable point takes the tourist near the waterfall.  A coracle (a light, bowl-shaped boat with a frame of woven grasses, reeds, or saplings covered with hides) ride, which takes the tourist nearer to the shimmering, ripple waterfalls, can be a memorable experience. The closer view of Hogenakkal waterfalls is mesmerizing, impressive and even a bit scary. The prime attraction of the Hogenakkal falls is its vertical drop from the height of 20 meters with the thundering sounds. The entire area covered with the large trees and thorny plants looks like paradise. One can enjoy the natural beauty in the nature walk to the nearby areas.

Attractions: 

Some tourist attractions near Hogenakkal are Melagiri Hills, Parameswari Temple, Krishnagiri Dam, Mettur Dam, Pennagram Village, Kottakovil and so on.

Melagiri Hills:  Melagiri Hills is one of the most beautiful tourist attractions near Hogenakkal.  One can hike to Melagiri hills from Hogenakkal and explore the verdant, rocky landscape.  The hills of Melagiri are a range of hills on the Eastern Ghats and situated between the Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri Districts of Tamil Nadu.  Nestled between the Kaveri and Chinar rivers Melagiri Hills has an undulating landscape covered with dry deciduous, some stretches of shola vegetation and semi-evergreen forests.  It is an elephant country and contains two traditional elephant corridors.   This area is home to several animals such as Leopard, Dhole, Panther, Sloth Bear, Marsh Crocodile, Jackal, Chital, Gaur, Mouse deer, Sambar, brownish gray giant squirrel, Four-horned Antelope, Elephant etc.  Various birds, like Grey Junglefowl, Crested Honey Buzzard, Peacock, Pompadour Green Pigeon, Egyptian Vulture, Lesser Fish Eagle, Brown Fish Owl, Changeable Hawk Eagle, Flower pecker are found in these hills.

Parameswari Temple:  Located in the Pennagram village, Parameswari Temple is around 15 kms from Hogenakkal.  Putlur Poongavanathamman, also known as Arulmigu Angala is believed to be the goddess of this temple.  Since the goddess is believed to be the savior for all the infertile and pregnant ladies, majority of the devotees to the temple are women.

Krishnagiri Dam:  Situated between Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts across the Kaveri River, Krishnagiri Dam is a favourite picnic spot near Hogenakkal. This Dam constructed across the Thenpennar and is a major tourist attraction. One can trek to the Yelagiri Hills in Eastern Ghat from Krishnagiri Dam.

Mettur Dam: Mettur Dam, the largest dam in India, was constructed in a gorge, where the River Kaveri enters the plains.  The total length of this dam is 1,700 m. This dam creates Stanley Reservoir.  Hogenakal Falls is upstream from this dam.  Mettur Dam provides irrigation facilities to parts of Salem, the length of Erode, Namakkal, Karur, Tiruchirappali and Thanjavur district.

Pennagram Village:  Located around 15 kms from Hogenakkal Pennagram Village is surrounded by dense forests.  It is in Dharmapuri District and famous for the brightly coloured giant terracotta statues. Since a large fair celebrated every week in this village, attracts a large number of tourists.

Kottakovil: Located on the northern side of Dharmapuri District, Kottakovil is famous for the temple built for Lord Shiva.  Many rare sculptures and paintings can be found here. The temple contains the 'Hanging pillar', which is the major attraction of this place.  Legend states that in this temple there was once a secret passage which linked it with Adhiyamankottai.

Best time to visit:
This white waterfall is exciting soon after the monsoon when the river is brimming. Thus, the best season to visit Hogenekkal is immediately after the monsoons when the river roaring down swiftly with massive water.  But some tourists prefer to visit this place during off-season to avoid the huge crowd.  However, the best time to visit this place is between the months of September and December.

Dadra and Nagar Haveli,tour in west india

Dadra and Nagar Haveli is a Union Territory in western India. Nagar Haveli is wedged between Maharashtra and Gujarat, whereas Dadra is an enclave lying a few kilometres north of Nagar Haveli in Gujarat.Its capital is Silvassa.

Dadra and Nagar Haveli are in the watershed of the Daman Ganga River, which flows through the territory. The towns of Dadra and Silvassa both lie on the north bank of the river. The Western Ghats range rises to the east, and the foothills of the range occupy the eastern portion of the district. The territory is landlocked, although the Arabian Sea coast lies just to the west in Gujarat. Some of the famous places are Hirwavan garden, Tribal Museum at Silvassa, Vanganga Lake and Garden at Dadra, etc. It is also famous for its wild life.

Tourism in Dadra And Nagar Haveli

Owing to its scenic natural beauty and favorable climate, Dadra & Nagar Haveli tourism sector has been assigned high priority. The tourism in Dadra & Nagar Haveli comprises of natural spots, historical monuments, pilgrimage shrines and man made tourist attractions. To promote tourism in Dadra & Nagar Haveli, many traditional and modern cultural activities like celebration of Kite festival, Tarpa Festival, World Tourism day, etc are organized every year. The official website of Dadra & Nagar Haveli Tourism provides complete information about the city. For those want to known more about this beautiful destination can also obtain Dadra & Nagar Haveli Tourism Guide from the Tourist reception center located in the capital city, Silvassa.

Best Time To Visit Dadra And Nagar Haveli
Winter is the ideal time to visit Dadra & Nagar Haveli. The place enjoys a pleasant climate from November to March. Even the summer temperature is not very high. Due to its proximity to the sea, the nights are also cool here.

Tourist Attractions In Dadra And Nagar Haveli

Vanganga Lake Garden, Dadra, Hirwavan garden, Piparia, Tribal Museum, Vandhara Udyan, Mini Zoo and Bal Udyan, Ayyappa Temple ,Silvassa, Tapovan Tourist Complex, Bindrabin are some important Dadra & Nagar Haveli travel destinations and tourist spots.

How to Reach Dadra And Nagar Haveli
Travel to Dadra & Nagar Haveli by Air : The nearest airport is at Mumbai (164 Kms). All major domestic and international operates regular flights to/from Mumbai.
Travel to Dadra & Nagar Haveli by Rail: The nearest railway station is Vapi on western Railway. It is located at a distance of 17 km from the capital city, Silvassa. All-important Mail/Express trains are available at Vapi including Shatabdi, August Kranti Rajdhani, Karnavati and Ahinsa.
Travel to Dadra & Nagar Haveli by Road: Dadra & Nagar Haveli is almost touching Mumbai – Baroda – Delhi National Highway No.8 (Western Express Highway). The state capital Silvassa is well connected with the important cities of western India by regular bus service.