Krishna Janmashtami also known simply as Janmashtami or Gokulashtami, This is an annual Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Load Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. It is usually observed according to the Hindu calendar, on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the Krishna Paksha in Shraavana or Bhadrapad which overlaps with August or September. This year, Janmashtami celebrations will begin August 11, with many people also likely to celebrate it the next day.
Ashtami Tithi will begin on August 11 at
9:06 AM and will end on August 12 at 11:16 AM.
Nishita (midnight) puja time – August 12, 12:21 am to 01:06 am
Dahi handi – August 12
It is an important festival, On this day people enact Dance-drama based on
the life of Krishna according to the Bhagavata Purana (such as Rasa Lila or
Krishna Lila), sing devotional throughout midnight and fast through the
day. when Krishna was born, fasting
(upavasa), a night vigil (Ratri Jagaran), and a festival (Mahotsav) on the
following day are a part of the Janmashtami celebrations.
It is celebrated particularly in
Mathura and Vrindavan, along with major Vaishnava and non-sectarian communities
found in Manipur, Assam, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan,
Gujarat, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and all
other states of India.
Importance of Janmashtami
Krishna is Devaki and Vasudeva Anakadundubhi's son and his birthday is celebrated by Hindus as Janmashtami, Tthe festival is celebrated when Krishna is believed to have been born according to Hindu tradition, which is in Mathura, at midnight on the eighth day of Bhadrapada month (overlaps with August and 3 September in the Gregorian calendar).
Celebrations
Hindus celebrate
Janmashtami by fasting, singing, praying together, preparing and sharing
special food, night vigils, and visiting Krishna or Vishnu temples. Major
Krishna temples organize recitation of ‘'Bhagavata Purana and Bhagavad Gita.
Many communities organize dance-drama events called Rasa Lila or Krishna Lila.
The tradition of Rasa Lila is particularly popular in the Mathura region, in northeastern
states of India such as Manipur and Assam, and in parts of Rajasthan and
Gujarat.
Celebrations in India
Maharashtra
Janmashtami (popularly known as
"Gokulashtami" as in Maharashtra) is celebrated in cities such as
Mumbai, Latur, Nagpur, and Pune. Dahi Handi is celebrated every
August/September, the day after Krishna Janmashtami.
The festival gets this popular regional name from the legend of baby Krishna. According to it, he would seek and steal milk products such as yogurt and butter and people would hide their supplies high up out of the baby's reach. Krishna would try all sorts of creative ideas in his pursuit, such as making human pyramids with his friends to break these high hanging pots.
Gujarat and Rajasthan
People in Dwarka in Gujarat – where
Krishna is believed to have established his kingdom – celebrate the festival
with a tradition similar to Dahi Handi, called Makhan Handi. Others perform
folk dances at temples, sing bhajans, visit the Krishna temples such as at the
Dwarkadhish Temple or Nathdwara. In the Kutch district region, farmers decorate
their bullock carts and take out Krishna processions, with group singing and
dancing.
Northern India
Janmashtami is the largest festival in
the Braj region of north India, in cities such as Mathura where Hindu tradition
states Krishna was born, and in Vrindavan where he grew up. Vaishnava
communities in these cities in Uttar Pradesh, as well as others in the state,
as well as locations in Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Himalayan
north celebrate Janmashtami. Krishna temples are decorated and lighted up, they
attract numerous visitors on the day, while Krishna devotees hold bhakti events
and keep night vigil.
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