Only Satvik food should be consumed during the fast on Krishna Janmashtami. Garlic and onion should not be consumed on of fasting. you should also use milk and curd during the Janmashtami celebration. As Shri Krishna was fond of cows feeding, it is also noble in the Janmashtami celebration.
Meaning of Janmashtami
A God or Goddess from Hindu mythology is honored throughout almost all of India’s Hindu festivals. One of the holidays commemorating Sri Krishna’s birth—who is said to be Vishnu’s eighth reincarnation—is Krishna Janmashtami. Especially in the north and north-west India, the holiday is celebrated with extraordinary fervor and devotion. Krishna’s birthplace, Mathura, is the scene of a lavish festival. In Mathura, every roadway, crossroad, and Krishna temple is festooned with a variety of coloured ribbons, balloons, flowers, and colourful lights.
All of the Krishna temples in Mathura and Vrindavan are crowded with visitors and worshippers from all over the world and the country. Many international visitors were also spotted reciting bhajans while wearing white ascetic clothing. Every member of the household takes an early morning bath before congregating at the temporary place of worship to do puja (veneration of Krishna). Even the homes themselves become temporary temples. The rites are carried out with dedication, and statues of Radha and Krishna are maintained side by side.
In Gujarat’s Dwarka, where Krishna is said to have founded his kingdom, there is a distinctive festival. There is a ceremonial practice called “Makhan Handi” that is similar to Mumbai’s “Dahi Handi.” Additionally, farmers in Gujarat’s Kutch area paint their bullock carts and parade them around Krishna as other groups dance beside them.
Story of Lord Krishna
One of Lord Vishnu’s avatars is Lord Krishna. On the eighth day of the dark fortnight of the Hindu calendar’s Bhadon month, around 5200 years ago, he was born. He is regarded as a deity who possesses great strength. He was put here on Earth just to release it from the grip of evil. He had a significant impact on the Mahabharata epic, as he supported the Pandavas and led them to victory in the Kurukshetra war. He advocated the idea of Bhakti and Karma all of his life. Due to his uncle Kansas’ imprisonment of his parents, Lord Krishna was born in a prison. Kansha feared that their parents’ eighth child would murder him. Krishna was the eighth kid, but his father Vasudev gave him his companion Nand to protect him from Kansha. Krishna was raised in the Gokul community by his foster parents Yashoda and Nand. Throughout his early years, he performed various magical feats by dispatching a number of asuras, and as he grew older, he developed into a powerful individual. Finally, he and his brother Balaram attended a combat match at Kansas’s palace, where Krishna ultimately defeated Kansha.
How is this festival celebrated?
Midnight is when Janmashtami is observed. as a result of Lord Krishna’s nighttime birth. Additionally, each individual has a unique style of commemorating the holiday. People engage in this activity because Sri Krishna loved eating Makhan.
They tie an earthen pot as part of the sport (matki). The matki is tied by the game’s judge extremely high off the ground. Furthermore, the matki is filled with Makhan. People also construct a human pyramid to topple the matki. The matki must be built higher since it is too high. As a result, plenty of individuals are forced to participate in sports. Additionally, there are other teams that prevent them from destroying the matki. Both teams have equal opportunities. Each team has a chance for a specific amount of time. The opposite team attempts it if the team is unable to complete it in time. Numerous spectators assemble to observe this intriguing sport.
The festivity is also held inside homes. People utilise lights to adorn their homes from the outside. In addition, the temples are packed with visitors. Inside the temple, they carry out a number of rites. As a result, we are constantly exposed to the sound of bells and chants.
Additionally, individuals dance to other religious melodies. Finally, it is one of the Hindu religion’s most pleasurable celebrations.
Principal of Janmashtami
Lord Krishna is regarded as the eighth manifestation of Lord Vishnu, Trinity’s conservator. His birth is often celebrated as Gokul Ashtami or Krishna Janmashtami. King Vasudeva and Queen Devaki gave birth to Lord Krishna in a dark prison in Mathura, present-day Uttar Pradesh. Hindu epics today refer to Krishna as the deity of attachment, tenderness, and compassion. He is also noted for being a jokester who regularly shocked his musketeers and family by using his superhuman abilities to aid others.
Following are a few rituals associated with celebrations:
1) The two foundational events presto is seen by several people during Janmashtami. Grain consumption is prohibited for those on a diet, thus they stick to the Falahar diet, which consists only of fruits and water.
2) A presto is seen by several people during Janmashtami. Grain consumption is prohibited for those on a diet, thus they stick to the Falahar diet, which consists only of fruits and water.
3) It is important to break the fast, or parana, at the proper hour. The fast is finished when both Rohini Nakshatra and Ashtami Tithi pass. To get Lord Krishna’s blessings, people go to tabernacles. On this auspicious day, devotees put on plays and cotillions based on the life of Lord Krishna, and Hindu temples tell the well-known story of his birth.
Interesting facts about Janmashtami celebrations:
- Bangladesh observes Janmashtami as a national holiday. Since 1902, a religious procession has left the Dhakeshwari National Temple in the nation’s capital and traveled through the streets of Old Dhaka.
- The US also celebrates Janmashtami, particularly in New York, Orlando, California, and Massachusetts.
- The celebration lasts for two days in London. At Bhaktivedanta Manor, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness’s UK headquarters, more than 60,000 people attend the Janmashtami celebrations (ISKCON).
- Celebrations are conducted in the well-known Krishna temple in Nepal’s Patan Durbar Square, where worshipers present the Lord with flowers, “prasad” (food), and cash.
- The names Krishna Janmashtami, Saatam Aatham, Gokulashtami, Ashtami Rohini, Srikrishna Jayanti, and Sree Jayanti are also used to refer to Janmashtami.
- India’s Mathura, a city in Uttar Pradesh, where Krishna was born, and Gokul, a town 15 kilometers to the east of Mathura, where the Lord was raised, both experience intense religious fervor.
- Gokulashtami is also observed in South India when worshippers chant pious hymns and present Krishna fruits as “prasadam.”
- The festival’s main draw in the western state of Maharashtra is “Dahi-handi” (breaking of a pot full of curd hung in the air by a human pyramid).
- The event is also observed in Gujarat, which is said to be Krishna’s kingdom, particularly at the Dwarkadhish temple.
- Dahi handi is a ceremony that is widely practised, and it simply imitates Lord Krishna’s events of stealing butter. To crack open the clay pot secured at a height of 20 to 30 feet from the ground, boys congregate in a compound and construct a human pyramid. The groupings are either referred to as handis or mandals, and the youngster who stands at the top is known as Govinda.
Conclusion
Janmashtami is further observed in homes in various ways. People utilise lights to beautify their homes’ exteriors and interiors. At various temples, they give sacrifices and conduct pujas. On the day before Janmashtami, bells and chants ring throughout the day. A lot of individuals also like singing and dancing along to religious music. One of the grandest and happiest holidays in Hinduism is Janmashtami.
Read more- Real Story of Radha Krishana, Lord Krishna Curse Ashwathama
