JANMASHTAMI
FESTIVAL
INTRODUCTION
Janmashtami or Gokulashtami as it is popularly known in
North India is a festival full of joy and gaiety. It celebrates
with great pomp and show, the birth of Lord Krishna who
was born more than 5000 years ago in the 28th year of Dwapur
Yug. It is one of the most celebrated festivals for Hindus
not only in India but also, all over the world. Janmashtami
is about the joy, people all over the world feel for their
beloved Lord Krishna. The birth anniversary of Lord Krishna,
the incarnation of Vishnu is celebrated on the Ashtami of
Krishna Paksh or the 8th day of the dark fortnight in the
month of Bhadon, with great fervour all over India especially
at Mathura and Brindavan where Lord Krishna spent his childhood.
LEGEND BEHIND THE CELEBRATIONS
According to the legends, the birth of Lord Krishna took
place under extraordinary circumstances. Krishna was an
incarnation of Lord Vishnu who comes to the world to get
rid of all evil demons. He was born at midnight stroke on
a dark, rainy night to 'Devaki' and 'Vasudev' who had been
imprisoned by Devaki's brother Kansa.
It had been foretold that the eighth son of Devaki would
kill the evil king Kansa. Upon hearing this prophesy, Kansa
had his sister put into prison. He killed her seven children
one by one but when Krishna was born, there was divine intervention
to save the life of baby Krishna. The guards had fallen
into deep slumber and were unable to inform their master
about the newborn child.
A voice commanded Vasudev to take the baby to Gokul and
exchange with the newborn baby Nanda and Yashoda. The shackles
and the prison gates opened miraculously and Vasudev carried
the child in a small basket, through the waters of Yamuna.
As it was a dark stormy night, the waters of Yamuna were
raging but parted to let the carrier of the divine Krishna
pass. A huge snake known as Adisesha with 2000 hoods, glided
behind them, its hoods formed a protective canopy over the
child.
When Vasudev returned back with Nanda's child the shackles
fastened and the doors closed and the guards awakened. Kansa
came and picked up the child to hurl it to the wall and
kill him but somehow the baby slipped from his grasp and
took the form of a Goddess laughing at Kansa, she vanished
after telling him that the one who would kill him had already
taken birth and was elsewhere.
As a little boy, Krishna was the heartbeat of Gokul, a mischievous
prankster who was favourite amongst the gopikas. He used
to steal curd and butter from the houses of gopikas. Even
though he was a child, he performed several miracles. His
exploits are now the immortal legends of Braj. He killed
a number of 'asuras'(devils), vanquished the Kali Nag and
later he killed Kansa as it had been foretold.
DESCRIPTION
Temples and homes are beautifully decorated and lit. People
fast all day and eat only after the midnight birth ceremony.
Night long prayers are offered and religious hymns are sung
in temples. The priests chant holy mantras and bathe the
idol with Gangajal (water from the holy Ganges River), milk,
ghee (clarified butter), oil, and honey pouring all these
from a conch shell. Only after the ceremony is over, the
devotees break their daylong fast. Scenes are enacted from
Lord Krishna's early life.
Janmashtami is celebrated in various parts of India to mark
the birth of Lord Krishna. In Maharashtra, earthen pots
of curd and butter are hung up over the streets. Young men
enacting an episode from Krishna's childhood form human
pyramids by climbing on each others shoulders and try to
break these pots.
Mathura, the birthplace of Lord Krishna, has about 400 temples
dedicated to him. The main celebrations are held at the
Dwarkadhish temple, Banke Bihari, Rangaji, Shri Krishna
Balram temple and Gopinath temple. In the Dwarakashish
temple, the celebrations are held for duri whole temple
and the deity with a particular colour. A crawling
image of Krishna is cradled amidst singing of bhajans and
chantings of 'Hare Rama Hare Krishna'.
In South India, Janmashtami or Gokulashtami, is celebrated
with prayers, devotional renditions and offering of fruits
and special prasadams to Lord Krishna. Kolams are drawn
in the front yard and mango leaves are tied to the doorways
to mark the auspicious occasion. Inside the house, a small
wooden mandapam is erected and decorated with flowers and
plantain leaves. An icon of a crawling Krishna in a silver
cradle or leaf is placed in the mandapam. In some houses,
a typical setting of 'Gokulam' is arranged with mud images
of Devaki, Vasudeva with little Krishna perched in a basket
on his head, a cow, besides other things related to Krishna's
legends. Small foot marks produced by impressions with rice
powder mixed with water are believed to symbolically recreate
the coming of Krishna into peoples' homes.
TIME TO CELEBRATE
The festival is celebrated in August.
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