Monday, 26 August 2024

For Vaishnav or Sannyasis, this festival is celebrated on Navami yukta Ashtami. For housholding people this is celebrated on the Ashtami of Bhadrapada Krishna Paksha, it should be in midnight.

Janmashtami also known as Krishna Janmashtami or Gokulashtami. It celebrates the birth of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. He was born in the prison as the eighth child of Devaki and Vasudeva. When Krishna was born, the entire palace went into slumber, and Vasudeva rescued the baby to Nand Baba and Yashodha's house in Vrindavan. After making the exchange, Vasudeva returned with a baby girl and handed her to Kansa. When the evil king tried to kill the baby, she transformed into Goddess Durga, warning him about his impending doom. In this way, Krishna grew up in Vrindavan and finally killed Kansa. The temples of Mathura and Vrindavan witness the most extravagant and colourful celebrations, as Lord Krishna have spent his growing years there.

Krishna loved butter and milk so much that they had to be kept out of his reach. In Maharashtra, where the festival is known as Govinda, pots containing buttermilk are suspended high over streets. Teams of boys then form human pyramids competing against each other to see who can break pots. Many people observe a fast on Janmashtami, they follow the Falahar diet, which consists of just fruits and water. When both Rohini Nakshatra and Ashtami Tithi are over, the fast is concluded.

Janmashtami (1950 to 2050)