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Home > Other Astrological Information > Events / Festivals > Sri Krishna Asthami / Sri Krishna Janmashtami / Krishna Jayanthi
Sri Krishna Janmashtami is one of the important famous Hindu festivals that is being celebrated across India. The festival is celebrated with much pomp and gaiety.
According to antecedents, Sri Krishna Janmashtami is the birthday of Lord Krishna, the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu. The festival is observed on the eighth day of the dark half i.e., Krishna Paksh of the month of Bhadrapada month of Hindu calender when the Rohini Star is ascendant.
The festival is observed by fasting on the previous day of Saptami. This is followed by a night long vigil commemorating the birth of Lord Krishna at night and his immediate removal by his father to a fosterer home for safe keeping. At midnight, the deity of the infant Krishna is bathed, placed in a cradle and worshiped.
In the early morning, ladies draw patterns of little children's feet outside the house with rice-flour paste, walking towards the house. This symbolizes the entry of the infant Krishna into his foster-home. This custom is popular in some communities of South India. After ablutions, morning prayers and worship, the devout break their fast with prasadam, food that has first been offered to God. During the fore-noon hours, the "Dahi-Handi" custom is celebrated in some parts of the Deccan. This is followed by sumptuous mid-day feasts, where extended families customarily get together. Sweets made of milk and butter are traditionally prepared on this occasion.
In Northern India, the festival is celebrated differently . The temples at Vrindayan and Madura witness a colorful, even boisterous celebration on this occasion, and festivities at these places may extend for several days. Devotional songs and dances mark the celebration. The Rasa Lila is performed to recreate incidents from the life of Krishna and commemorate his love for Radha.
Care is taken among certain circles not to imitate the Rasa Lila in a mundane way. It is said that one should not imitate the Rasa Lila even in dreams. The idea is that Krishna, or God's pastimes cannot be understood by the mundane mind-set and discussing them should therefore be avoided altogether. Krishna's pastimes with Srimati Radha can never be understood by materialistic people, they are transcendental and great care should be taken to present them in such manner.
While the Rasa Lila recreates the youthful Krishna's dalliance with the milkmaids of his native land, the "Dahi-Handi" tradition of Maharashtra re-enacts his childhood pranks, wherein Lord Krishna and his young friends helped themselves to butter and other goodies in the houses of their neighbors. Clay pots called "Dahi-Handi", filled with curd and butter, are suspended high above the ground. To a constant chorus of "Govinda, Govinda" from all those present, teams of young men form hymn pyramids to reach the pot and break it, to the merriment of the youths and of the assembly.
The festival is thus celebrated with great joy and communal togetherness by one and all.
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