Janmashtami

Janmashtmi, also known as Gokulashtami or Krishna Ashtami, is one of the most important Hindu festival. It is celebrated with full grandeur as the birthday of Lord Krishna, the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Though this festival takes a more colorful and grand shape in Krishna's land of Gokul, Mathura and Virindavan, the enthusiasm of Krishna's birth is spread all over the country, during the festival.

TIME AND DURATION:

Janma means 'birth' and Ashtami means 'the eighth day'. The eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu was born in the Dwapar Yuga as Lord Krishna, on the eighth day of the dark fortnight in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada which falls in the month of August/September. This day is celeberated as Janamasthmi.

ABOUT THE PRIME DEITY:

Lord Krishna, one of the divine incarnations of Lord Vishnu, was born around five thousand years ago, to Devki and Vasudeva, when they were captivated by Devki's own brother King Kansa. This Jail Cell in Mathura is called Krishna's Janmasthana.

All through his life, he played numerous roles, as a responsible mentor, a mischievous son, a romantic lover, a caring brother and a best friend. He was best known for his playful pranks that he played on Gopis, while he stayed with Yashoda and Nanda, spreading happiness and gaiety in the entire Gokul. He astonished everybody with his mystical activities, since a very tender age, especially when he killed the demons sent by Kansa and picked up Gobardhan Parvat on his small finger to save the entire village from Lord Indra's prakop. He played his part of an intense lover with Radha, an incarnation of Goddess Lakshmi and enjoyed Ras Lila with the Gopis in Vrindavan.

Krishna was born to kill Kansa, the demon king of Mathura, who was a threat to the sages on Earth,and he completed this task along with his brother Balrama, at an early stage of his life. He learned important lessons in the field of Spirituality, Vedic Arts and Politics from his Guru Sandipani Muni and played the role of an obedient and efficient student. He was the source of important lessons of life, given to Arjuna during the Kurukshetra War, when he also played a role of a Charioteer. These lessons are mentioned in the revered Hindu Epic, Shrimada Bhagvada Gita, which teaches one the essence of life.

MYTHOLOGICAL RELEVANCE:

The story of Lord Krishna's birth forms the background of Janmashtami celebrations. Devki and Vasudev, the genetic parents of the Krishna, were imprisoned by Mathura King Kansa, as he was told that their offspring would ultimately kill him. This fear led him to kill six newly born kids of Devki, but Balram and Krishna, Devki's seventh and eighth children, were saved miraculously and given to Nand and Yashoda, who lived in Gokul, where Krishna grew up and finally killed Kansa, putting an end to his dark rule. The day of Lord Krishna's birth is celebrated as Janmashtami.

RITUALS:

The festival is celebrated with full devotion and vehemence, throughout the country. People visit Lord Krishna temples on this day, which are decorated with flowers and lights , just like the actual birth ceremony of the Lord. Idols of Lord Krishna in his various acts and roles are placed in the temple, especially the idol of infant Krishna which is kept in a silver cradle, with a bed of flowers and silk cloth. Lord's idol is bathed with panchamrit and including curd, milk, dry fruits, honey and basil leaves which is later distributed as Shriprasad among the devotees.

People observe fast on the occasion and gather in the temple to express their happiness to Shri Krishna by offering him his favorite milk products, singing devotional songs describing his playful childhood acts and participating in Arti at midnight. Long cues of devotees throng the temple and wait for an opportunity to pull the rope of Krishna's cradle and to mark their presence in his house.

In Mathura and Vrindavan, the celebrations go a step further, where enactments from Krishna's life are staged and his teachings are reverberated. Processions of tableaux take place in the city throughout the day, as people gather to have a look at the actors who are venerated as Gods and are offered prayers. Slogans in the Lord's praise like 'Radhey Gobind Hari Gopal Bolo' and 'Jai Kanhaiya Lal Ki' are chanted in the processions.

Another famous event of the festival which is a commonplace in Maharashtra and Gujarat apart from Mathura and Vrindavan is 'Dahi Handi' or 'Dahikala' in which youths form tall human pyramids to reach and break a high-hung earthen pot filled with buttermilk. As they reach the top they shout 'Govinda Ala Re'! Competitions are held and huge prize money is distributed among the successful teams, who are quickest to break the Handi.

The delicacies prepared on this day mostly constitute of sweets, to be offered to the deity. Panjiri is prepared from flour, coriander, ghee, ginger powder and sugar while Murukku is prepared down south. Charnamrit made of milk, ghee, sugar, basil leaves and dry fruits is also prepared for the occasion.

Major temples in India where Janmashtami is celebrated with maximum vigor and exuberance are Krishna Janma Bhoomi Mandir in Mathura, Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan, Udupi Temple in Rajasthan, Dwarkadhish Temple in Gujarat, Guruvayur Temple in Kerala and ISCKON Temples spread aacross the country.