Sri Krishna Janmashtami Hindu Festival
Krishna Janmashtami Hindu Festival
Krishna Janmashtami is a famous Hindu Festival. Lord Krishna, the incarnation of Lord Vishnu born about five thousand years ago in Mathura in ‘Dwapar Yuga’. His birthday is celebrated as Krishna Janmashtami, which is also called Gokulashtami. According to the Hindu calendar, a significant Hindu festival usually falls on the
month of Bhadrapada, Ashtami tithi. According to the Gregorian calendar, it falls in August and September. Hindus celebrated Krishna Jayanthi with great enthusiasm and celebrated it not only in India but also in America. The devotees observe fast the whole day, sing praising hymns, and conduct prayers. Some dramas are also performed on the theme of Sri Krishna’s life. Dahi-Handi is a crucial game on this occasion. The young men form human pyramids; one among them mounts the pyramid to reach a high-hanging pot of butter and break it.
Legendaries behind Krishnamashtami
Hindus worshipping Lord Krishna with great devotion and believe that he was to be one of the eight incarnations of Lord Vishnu. Before the Birth of Krishna, Mother Earth was appalled by the number of sins committed on her surface. One day Mother Earth went to Lord Brahma and appealed to him for help. Then Brahma went to Lord Vishnu and revealed the anguished plea of Mother Earth. Lord Vishnu listened to everything carefully and assured Brahma that He would take birth on earth as Krishna and would destroy every kind of sin.
Kamsa Kept Vasudeva in Jail
Kamsa ruled Mathura with evil and lunatic administration, and sins were widely happening everywhere in his kingdom. The kingdom became miserable, so Lord Vishnu ended his corrupt rule and took birth in human form. In the meantime, Devaki, sister of Kamsa, was getting married to Vasudev, and then a divine prophecy proclaimed that Vasudeva’s eighth son would kill Kamsa. The furious Kamsa was ready to kill his sister Devki, but Vasudev assured him that he would hand over all his children to Kamsa as soon as they were borns. Then Kamsa gave up the idea of killing Devaki and kept both in prison. Kamsa killed the first six born children as soon as they were born. But the seventh child was saved due to divine intervention.
Krishna Jayanthi
Finally, the eight children of Lord Krishna were born in a divine form. After his born at midnight, the gates of the cell flow open, and all the guards fall fast asleep. Vasudeva immediately took the little Krishna and went to Gokul, where his close friend Nand lives. He went to Nand’s residence, exchanged his son with Nand’s daughter, and returned to prison. As soon as he entered the prison, the doors locked behind him, and the guards woke up and heard the child crying. Soon the guards informed Kamsa about the birth of the eighth child. Kamsa rushed to the prison to kill the baby, but the baby slipped from his hands and flew towards the sky. From the sky, the baby proclaimed that the annihilator of Kamsa was born and safe. Later Krishna Killed Kamsa.
Janmashtami Celebrations
Hindus celebrate Krishna Janmashtami on a grand scale. The devotees fast on this day and chant the shlokas in Bhagwad Gita. The temples and the houses decorate beautifully, and the children dress like Lord Krishna and Radhika. Stories about Krishna are performed as dramas, especially during his childhood days. At midnight the devotees perform ‘aarti’ and break their fasts. Later distribute the sweets and delicious dishes. To bring the glory of Krishna Jayanthi, Srila Prabhupada worked very hard and distributed the Bhagavad Geeta to the Western people.
Sri Krishna Janmashtami Rituals in Various places
The devotees Celebrate Krishna Janmashtami according to their regions in India. People celebrate on a grand scale in South India, Tamil Nadu, and Karnataka. Here the statue of Krishna is kept in a mandapam and decorated with beautiful flowers. Unique dishes prepare for Lord Krishna on Lord Krishna’s Birthday. In Dwarka in Gujrat and other Eastern states, people celebrate by fasting and doing Puja at midnight.