Krishna Janmashtami is celebrated on the eighth day after the full moon day in the holy month of Shravan annually marking the birth of Lord Krishna, also called Jagannath.
Lord Krishna is the eighth avatar among the Dasavatara of Lord Vishnu. It is celebrated according to the lunar calendar and hence, the date of the Janmashtami keeps changing every year. However, it falls within the months of August and September of the Gregorian calendar. This year, Janmashtami falls on August 26.
Janmashtami signifies the victory of good over evil. It is a festival celebrated signifying the birth of Lord Krishna, but even his siblings – elder brother Balabhadra and younger sister Subhadra, are also decorated and adorned in colourful clothes and ornaments on the occasion.
In Puri, where Lord Jagannath is the presiding deity, Janmashtami is celebrated in a grand manner apart from the magnificent Rath Yatra taken out every year. The colourful and tasteful decoration of the deities and the premises along with the chariot makes a marvelous spectacle to behold.
Krishna is the eighth son of Devaki and Vasudeva and he was born in a prison in Mathura, as they were imprisoned by his uncle Kamsa.
Kamsa imprisoned his sister Devaki and her husband Vasudev after being warned by a celestial voice that the eighth child of the couple would be a threat to his life. According to the warning, Kamsa was killed by Lord Krishna.
Krishna's tales and greatness have not enthralled Indians alone. His warn presence and joy given to the soul have been felt across the world and this is evident in the fact of International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) being founded in New York city.
Several countries across the world, excluding India, celebrate Janmashtami with pomp and gaiety. New Zealand, Bangladesh, London, Poland, USA, Singapore, Malaysia and Canada also celebrate the occasion.
In Bangladesh, Janmashtami is also declared as a national holiday.
Celebrations
The celebrations include reading and recitation of religious texts, dancing in joy and enacting the life and birth of Lord Krishna. Devotional singing and fasting till the next day, when the Ashtami Tithi is over.
The daylong fast is broken on Navami by relishing Bhog. Krishna's devotees sing bhajans, kirtans on their beloved God, enact episodes from mythology about his lift which is called Krishna Lila, and also dance in joy, called garbha.
The breaking of the Dahi handi, which is the most enjoyed sport on the occasion, is celebrated by enthusiastic and zestful youth in a colourful setting.
If Dahi handi commences before ashtami, everyone can take part in the festival and other celebrations with energy, as fasting till the completion of Ashtami Tithi could reduce their vigour the next day.
