Janmashtami Info & Picture - ShreeDarshan.com

Janmashtami is one of the most popular festivals of Hindus,which celebrates the birth of the beloved God, Shri Krishna.Janmashtami ie Krishna Janma festival falls in the month between August and September.

The most common ritual observed all over during Janmashtami is fasting by devotees on the day of the festival (Saptami, seventh day).Devotees fast for the entire day and break it after the birth of Lord Krishna at midnight.

People prefer only milk and milk products as they were the favourite of Lord Krishna.Some devotees of Lord Krishna go to the extent of keeping 'Nirjal' fast.that is fasting without having a single drop of water.

At midnight, the idol of the child,Bal Krishna is bathed, adorned in new clothes and ornaments,placed in a cradle and worshiped by singing lullaby(Lories).

Devotees chant all day long the mantras and shlokas to please the lord,creating the religious atmosphere. Chanting of 108 names of Lord Krishna is another ritual that takes place in various temples.Chanting of names is accompanied by showering of flowers on the idol of Lord Krishna.

After the Aarti,the fast is over.At dawn,children's footprints,walking towards the house are drawn with "Rangoli".This indicates the divine entry of God Shree Krishna in the house.

Krishna Bhajan

Ram Krishna Hari mukund murari I
Pandurang Pandurang Ram Krishna Hari II

Vithal Vithal Pandurang Ram Krishna Hari I
Pandurang Pandurang Ram Krishna Hari

Dances like Garba,Dandiya,Raas-Leela or dramatic enactments based on the life of Shri.Krishna are performed in so many regions of India.Rasa-Leela is the rememberance of Krishna's youthful days.

Govinda Pathaks celebrate Krishna's's playful and mischievous side of entering the houses of Gopis and breaking the buttermilk Pots(Matki) and eating the "Maakhan"(buttermilk).

Janmaashtami, popularly known in Mumbai and Pune as Dahi Handi is celebrated with zeal and enthusiasm.

The "Handi" or " Matki" is a clay pot filled with buttermilk and coconut, that is roped at a convenient height.Govinda Groups from different areas come and form human pyramids and try to break the Handi by hitting it with Head or coconut placed inside it.

After breaking it, the buttermilk is spilled over the group people,who then sing and dance to celebrate the victory.

Many Handis bear prescious rewards in cash to the tune of Rupees 25 laks.Some popular Handis are tied at very high altitudes with highest rewards.Nowdays the Handis are accompanied with Musical shows,in presence of the celebrities from political front,TV programmes and films.

Govinda Group Breaking The Matki

The Legend

As per the Puranas,the legend says-Mathura, a prominent place in Northern India which is the birth place of Shri Krishna,was ruled by King Ugrasen,who belonged to the Community of Yadavs(Yaduvanshi).

He was a beloved king,who had two children, a son Kansa and a daughter Devki.Kansa was very cruel and wicked,who jailed his father and forcefully became the king of Mathura.

Kansa loved his sister very much and got her married to Vasudev,who was the high ranking officers in his army. However on the day of wedding,a heavenly prediction received that that Devki’s eighth child will be born to kill Kansa.

So Kansa decided to kill his sister Devki but on Vasudev's pleading,he jailed them and let them live on a condition that they will handover all their children to Kansa, who will be killed by Kansa.

Kansa succeeded in killing the first six new born babies of Devki and Vasudev, however the seventh child was saved by divine intervention.The child was transferred from Devki’s womb to that of Rohini,who was the other wife of Vasudev.Kansa thought that Devki had a miscarriage.The born child was Balram,the elder brother of Krishna.

The birth of the eighth child,Lord Krishna was a great miracle.Soon after his birth,all the guards of the jail fell asleep and the gates of the jail got opened themselves. Soon,Vasudev decided to pass on the child in a basket to his friend Nand,staying in Gokul.

During the heavy rains,the River Yamuna started to flood and Vasudev feared that he and his child will get drowned if he tried to cross it.However, as soon as the feet of the child,Krishna touched the river water,the water level became normal and Vasudev was able to cross it easily.

Sheshnag, the five headed serpent of Lord Vishnu protected the child with its fangs.Vasudev was aware of his miraculous child,who was a divine being. After handing his child, to his dear friend, Nand, Vasudev returned back safely with a girl child and no one got to know about it.

On hearing the news of the eighth born child,Kansa rushed to kill the girl by holding her legs and was about to bang her against the wall,but the girl vanished into thin air.The girl was the Yogmaya (divine illusion),who told Kansa that his slayer had been born and was living safelyu in Gokul.

The eighth child,Shri.Krishna grew up as Yashoda and Nand’s son in Gokul and later killed his maternal ,cruel uncle Kansa.

The inhabitants of Mathura blessed Krishna for relieving them from the cruel king,Kansa.

Shri.Krishna Kills Kansa