Janmashtami in India

It was a dark and stormy night on the eighth day of Shravan month when Lord Krishna was born. Deep in the prison cells of Mathura, Vasudev and Devaki waited for the birth of their eighth child. Outside, the winds wailed and storm raged through the city. King Kansa, brother of Devaki, had already killed her seven children with his bare hands. Soon the auspicious hour came close. The storm hushed and the night calmed. And at the stroke of midnight, Devaki bound in chains, gave birth to her eighth child, a baby boy i.e. Krishna.

The day marked the occasion of Janmashtami all across India. With great devotion and exhilaration, the day is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Lord Krishna. It is on the eighth day of the month of Shravan according to Hindu calendar, and every year, the celebration period falls somewhere between August and September. This year it falls on the 24th of August.

According to Hindu texts, Lord Krishna came into this world as the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu and destroyer of the evil on this day. Ancient Hindu literature, including Bhagwat Gita and Bhagavata Purana state the story of Lord Krishna’s birth. Many people treat this day as an occasion to honor the victory of good over evil.

In this article, we’ll be going through how the Janmashtami is celebrated across India. The festival is celebrated all across the country but the festivities in Mathura, Vrindavan, Gujarat and Maharashtra are exceptionally grand. Festivities take place over two days as Krishna was born at midnight. The first day is known as Krishna Ashtami, or Gokul Ashtami, and is usually observed with fasting through the day and breaking it by reciting prayer at midnight after the Lord is born. The second day is called Kaal Ashtami, or Janam Ashtami, which involves recitals, dances, devotional songs, and feasting.

The whole nation comes together to celebrate the day with enthusiasm. Celebrations include people preparing for plays, temples being decorated with flowers. The arrangements of “Janmashtami Jhankis” on different themes relating to the life of Lord Krishna, his childhood, boyhood and other incidents in his life. Though the most important jhanki arrangement is that of baby Krishna. Devotees also make beautiful ‘jhulans’ or cradles for the Bal Gopal.

Mathura
According to Hindu mythology, Lord Krishna was born to Devaki and Vasudeva in the kingdom of Mathura. So, being the birthplace of Krishna, Mathura is indeed the best place to experience the grandeur of the festival. The city has around 400 temples dedicated to Krishna, all of which get decorated up in a beautiful way. The grand celebration takes place at the Dwarkadhish Temple which is considered one of the oldest and largest temples of the city. Thousands of devotees gather inside the temple for the celebration of Janmashtami at midnight. Inside the temple, Lord Krishna is given the bath with milk & curd and Jhulan Utsav takes place. As soon as the door opens 5 minutes before midnight, the temple complex echoes with the slogan “Jai Kanhaiya Laal Ki”. After the ritualistic prayer finishes, all devotees receive “Panchamrit” and those who keep fast open it with this only.

Great celebrations also take place at the Krishna Janma Bhoomi Temple which is considered the actual place where Lord Krishna was born. Temple gets decorated with lights, flower and traditional decorations. Various pandals (tents) are set up and Rasleela performances take place around the city. The idol of Krishna is sanctified with milk, honey and curd during the Abhishek ceremony. The idol is then decorated with new clothes and jewellery and placed in cradle decorated with flowers. Devotees keep chanting prayers in the background.

Other than this temple, ISKCON Temple and Sri Krishna Balram Temple also celebrate Krishna’s birthday in a great manner. These temples also attract a huge number of devotees during this festival and make the festival grand by extremely great decorations and ceremonies.

Madhuban in Vrindavan is also a major highlight during this time. It is considered as the place where Krishna participated in Rasleela with Radha and Gopis. The place is serene and filled with spiritual warmth.