The festival of Janmashtami is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Lord Krishna. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Krishna was the incarnation of Vishnu. This event has significance in Vrindavan and Mathura as it is believed that Krishna was born in these areas. He spent his childhood in Vrindavan. Another festival associated with this event is known as Gokulashtami.
Unlike other Hindu festivals, the Janmashtami does not have a fixed date. It is celebrated on the eighth day of the month of Bhadrapada in India. This year Ashtami Tithi begins at 9:20 pm on August 18 and ends at 10:59 pm on August 19, 2022.
The day of Krishna Janmashtami is regarded as the most important day for Krishna devotees as it is when they fast and pray to the Lord to protect them from evil. During this period, people also decorate their homes and idol of Krishna as an infant. Devotees of Krishna perform Raslila to commemorate the various incidents in Lord Krishna’s life and his undying love for Radha.
An idol of infant Krishna, is placed inside a cradle. Every member of the family presents the child with butter and sugar as Krishna was known for his fondness for butter. After offering all the dishes to the Lord, the devotees break their fast.
How to celebrate Janmashtami
In India, the various ways that people celebrate the festival are very diverse. In Maharashtra, people perform Dahi-Handi to celebrate the festival. During this event, children form a human pyramid to break a pot of butter known as a Handi. Other places such as Vrindavan and Mathura also observe the festival with much zeal. People in these areas prepare various dishes and sweets to celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna. It is a very strong belief that Lord Krishna comes at midnight and has the prasad made by his devotees.
On the day before his birth, devotees keep a fast until midnight which is the traditional hour of his birth. Later the image of Krishna is bathed in water and milk and dressed in new clothes. He is one of the most loved deities in Hinduism. He entered the world to establish the religion of love. He is often shown as playing a flute and standing near a holy cow. Special foods are prepared during the celebration; people make sweets like Doodhachi Kheer, Gopal Kala and Gulab Jamun to celebrate the occasion.
In Dwarka, the city where Krishna spent most the life; is decorated for the festival. Dwarka means “door to salvation”. After Krishna’s death, it is said that the city was sunken in the water. The events in Dwarka are the most famous in India. The festival is structured similarly to the daily routine of Lord Krishna and it begins with a performance of the mangla arti. Following his veneration, he is again made available for devotees to perform darshans and in the evening, mangla arti is performed once again, Lord Krishna is offered with his favorite sweets.
Lord Krishna preached about good karma and the theory of Bhakti. He was born in a prison which was in the control of Kansa. But his father Vasudev gave him to his friend Nand to save him, because he knew that Kansa was evil-minded. Thus Krishna grew up in a Gokul family.
How is Janmashtami celebrated?
Krishna was fond of eating Makhan and people play this sport called Dahi Handi. They tie an earthen pot (matki). The judge of the game ties the matki really high from the ground; a person fills Makhan in the matki and, what people do is build a human pyramid to break the matki. However the matki is too elevated they have to build a tall pyramid. As a result, lots of people have to take part in sport. Likewise, there are other teams too, who stop them from breaking the matki. This is an interesting sport many people gather to watch this sport. Many communities, especially those in Mumbai, also participate in Dahi Handi. A celebration often concludes by doing Raslila, which is a drama that re-enacts scenes of Krishna’s life through joyous dance.
