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 One
of the more important festivals of India, Krishna Janmashtami
is celebrated on the eighth day of the dark fortnight in the month
of Bhadrapad. This year the festival is being celebrated
on the 11th of August. 'Janma' means 'birth' and 'ashtami'
means the 'eighth day'. The festival is celebrated commemorating
the birth of Krishna. On this day, the faithful observe a
day's fast only to break it at midnight. This is because it is believed
that Krishna's birth took place at midnight.
The temples are brightly done up and the image of Krishnais bathed
with curd, milk, honey, dry fruit and basil or tulasi leaves. Devotional
songs are sung till midnight in anticipation of baby Krishna.
Special cradles are installed at temples and a small statue
of the baby god is placed in them. At exactly midnight, temple bells
are rung to announce the birth of Krishna. Everyone gets a chance
to rock the cradle of the newborn and arati is performed.
According to the Puranas, Vishnu took the avatara
of Krishna to slay the evil king of Mathura, Kansa. He was born
as Krishna in the 28th year of the Dwapara Yuga. According
to a legend, during the marriage of his dear cousin Devi and Vasudeva,
an oracle foretold Kansa that Devi's eight child would be responsible
for his death. Enraged, Kansa prisoned the newly wed couple. Soon,
he killed six of their children. The seventh child however was transferred
to the womb of Rohini, another of Vasudeva's wives, and Kansa believed
that Devaki had suffered a miscarriage.
 When
she was pregnant with the eighth child, despite the greater
security in the prisons, at midnight on the eighth day in the month
of Shravana, Krishna was born. Divinely guided, Vasudeva carried
Krishna across the flooded Yamuna river, under the protection of
the huge serpent Sesha Naga's hood, to a village called Gokul.
There, he left Krishna in care of his sister Yashoda and her
husband Nanda and hurried back to the prison.
Krishna Janmashtami is also a very community oriented festival.
Exciting games are played during this time like breaking of the
dahi handi or 'pot of curd'. A terracotta pot containing
milk, butter and curd is hung high up across a street. Groups of
men form a pyramid to try and break this pot. The group that succeeds
is named the winner.
This is briefly how Krishna Janmashtami is celebrated and hope
you have a happy festival!
 The
Hare Krishna Chant
Hare Krishna Hare Krishna Krishna Krishna Hare Hare Hare Rama Hare
Rama Rama Rama Hare Hare
Click here to hear the
chant
- Mischelle Rebello
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