Janamashtami - Why and How do we celebrate it?

Krishna Janmashtami, also known simply as Janmashtami or Gokulashtami, is an annual Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. 

If we go by the Hindu calendar, this important day falls on the Ashtami or eighth day of the Krishna Paksh or dark fortnight of Bhadon month. No one actually knows when this festival originated! May be a thousand years back this festival found its foothold in our culture. One would actually come across various legendary stories and myths encircling the birth of Janmashtami.

Krishna was born around 5,200 years ago in Mathura. The sole objective of Lord Krishna's birth was to free the Earth from the evilness of demons. He played an important role in Mahabharata and propagated the theory of bhakti and good karma.  

Lord Krishna is the eighth incarnate of Lord Vishnu. We all have known from Mahabharata that the birth of Lord Krishna happened to kill the demon Kansa who happens to be his maternal uncle. Whenever there is some imbalance in the universe regarding peace and prosperity, it is said that Lord Vishnu comes to save the humanity from the hands of demons and goons.

1. History of the Day 

Lord Krishna was born in Mathura, ruled by the evil King Kansa, whose sister, Princess Devaki was Krishna’s birth mother. Devaki and Vasudeva were married with a lot of fanfare, however, a prophecy said that the couple’s eighth son would cause Kansa’s downfall.

As expected, when Kansa heard this and immediately captured Devaki and Basudev, all in the prison. The evil king got their first six children killed, but at the time of the birth of the seventh child, Balram, the foetus is said to have been mystically transferred from Devaki’s womb to Princess Rohini’s. 

When the couple’s eighth child, baby Krishna, was born, Vasudeva managed to rescue the baby and gave him to Nand Baba and Yashodha in Vrindavan. 

When the couple’s eighth child, baby Krishna, was born, Vasudeva managed to rescue the baby  and he had to cross the Yamuna River in a stormy night to pass on his child to a friend so save the child from the evil hands of Kansa. So, technically, Maiya Yashodha and Nanda of Gokul region of Mathura were the foster parents of Lord Krishna. 

Now this Lord Krishna was a wonderful child and his skills can only be noticed from childhood.  People began to believe that this little boy named Krishna was among the common people to save them from all their terrible situation.

We can say that this festival initially originated in Gokul and slowly engulfed the Mathura region and later on the whole Uttar Pradesh state. And now even after 1000 years, the whole country celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna as he is the epitome of love, faith, friendship, and peace. 

2. How we celebrate Janamashtami?

The Krishna Janmashtami is a very important festival for all the Hindus and they also keep fast on the same day. The devotees break their fast on the next day after midnight. Also, they worship Lord Krishna by singing songs and aarti or Lord Vishnu and Krishna. Some shlokas of the Lord are also sung by the devotees. The idol of Krishna is decorated with new sparkling clothes, mukut, and other jewellery.

Also, to celebrate this day many Hindu temples are decorated with lights and flowers. A host of bhajans and kirtans takes place in the temples. Many spiritual places perform the dance, and drama of Krishna life. Even the schools celebrate this auspicious festival by dressing the small children in Lord Krishna dress and dance performances take place.

Another major thing that took place during this festival is Dahi Handi that takes place on the day of Krishna Janmashtami. In the childhood, Lord Krishna was named as Makhan Chor and that’s why this event takes place on every Krishna Janmashtami in which Dahi Handi is hung on the rope at a certain height and a person has to put a hole in that Handi by creating a group of people and climbing over them. 

3. How Janamashtami celebrated in Isckon?

On the day of Janmashtami, the temple hall is decorated with beautiful and fragrant flowers, and thronged by devotees who are eager to have Darshan of the Lord and serve Him. There are varieties of flowers used for the beautification of the temples, and the festival starts from the early morning. One of the main rituals on this day is the ceremonial bathing of the deities.

Both the deities of Radha Krishna, and even Balaram get the ceremonial bathing, and then there is Mangal Aarti and more. Prasadam is distributed among devotees, and as mentioned earlier there are activities going on throughout the day with melodious Kirtan and chanting of the Holy name practically the entire day.

At midnight, the Lordships are offered an Aarti yet again, and hundreds of men and women watch with teary eyes, full of love and devotion for the Supreme Lord. The festivities go on until the next day as well. This is when Nandotsav is celebrated.