Janmashtami is a very auspicious Hindu festival and it is celebrated to mark the birth of lord Krishna. According to Hindu Mythology Krishna was the human incarnation of lord Vishnu.
Krishna Janmashtami has great significance in Mathura and Vrindavan, it is said that lord krishna was born in Mathura and spent his entire childhood in Vrindavan. Krishna Janmashtami is also known as Gokulashtami.
Happy Janmashtami celebration in 2022
Like every other Hindu Festival, Janmashtami doesn’t have any fixed date but it is celebrated in accordance of Hindu calendar. It is believed that Janmashtami is marked on the eighth day of the dark fortnight in the month of Bhadrapada in India.
And this year Ashtami Tithi begins at 09:20 pm on August 18 and ends at 10:59 pm on August 19, 2022.
History of Krishna Janmashtami
Lord Krishna was the eighth avatar of lord Vishnu, who was born in Mathura to Devaki and Vasudeva. When lord Krishna was born Mathura was ruled by Kansa who was the brother of Devaki and uncle of Krishna.
Kansa wanted to kill all the children of Devaki and Vasudev because it was destined that the eighth child of the couple would be the reason for Kansa’s downfall and death.
After knowing this Kansa imprisoned Devaki and Vasudeva and he used to kill each and every newborn child of the couple and he killed 6 fetus of Devaki and mystically the seventh fetus of Devaki was transferred from Devaki’s womb to Princess Rohini’s and later he was named Balram elder brother of lord Krishna.
When the eighth child of the couple was born, the entire palace went into slumber, and Vasudeva rescued the baby to Nand Baba and Yashodha’s house in Vrindavan.
And after that he exchanged the babies, Vasudeva returned to the palace with a newborn baby girl and handed her to Kansa, when the evil king tried to kill the baby, she transformed into the Goddess Durga, and she warned him about his impending doom.
And lord Krishna spent his entire childhood in Vrindavan and saved the people of Vrindavan from bad and evil monsters and later he moved to Mathura and as per the destiny he killed the evil Kansa.
Significance of Janmashtami
The day of Krishna Janmashami is the most auspicious day for Krishna devotees, this day people observe fasts and prays to lord Krishna to protect them from evil and bless them with good fortune and health.
People decorate their homes and temples with flowers and colors. Devotees of Krishna also perform Raslila to recreate the incidents from Lord Krishna’s life and to commemorate his love for Radha.
As Lord Krishna was born at midnight, an idol of an infant Krishna is bathed and placed in a cradle at that time. And each and every member of the family worship the idol of Krishna and present him milk and butter as Krishna was very fond of Butter and after presenting all the dishes to Krishan the devotees break their fast.
How to celebrate Janmashtami?
India is a very diverse country so the ways of celebrating a festival, Different parts of the country celebrate Krishna Janmashtami in different ways.
In Maharashtra people celebrate it by performing Dahi-Handi, lord Krishna was very fond of Butter and Buttermilk so, youngsters form a human pyramid and try to break a Handi which is basically a pot filled with Buttermilk which is hung above on the road.
And other places like Mathura, Dwarka and Vrindavan also celebrate the birth of lord Krishna with much zeal by preparing sweets and dishes.
It is a very strong belief that Lord Krishna comes at midnight and has the prasad made by his devotees.