Krishna is one of the most popular of all Indian divinities. He is the eighth incarnation of supreme god, Lord Vishnu.  Hindus celebrate Janmashtami as his birthday. The story of Shri Krishna’s birth is so interesting that almost every Indian know about it.

It is believed that 5200 years ago, Shri Krishna has appeared in a cell of Mathura where his parents Vasudev and Devaki were imprisoned by Kamsa. Kamsa has already killed 6 newborn elder siblings of Krishna. So to save Krishna Vasudev decided to smuggle him to Gokul through River Yamuna. In Gokul, Krishna was raised up as the son of Nanda and his wife Yashoda.

The most amazing fact about the celebration of Shree Krishna’s birthday is that he appeared on earth 5200 years back and still on the Janmashtami, while celebrating his birthday you can feel happiness and joy. It is because of his personality.

The Personality of Krishna

• The personality of Krishna cannot be summed up in few words. His personality is like an ocean, full of mysteries and full of surprises.
• The stories of Krishna have a charm; you get attracted to it easily.  Many devotees of Krishna like Meerabai, Surdas and many more have written such a beautiful poetry and couplets about him and his mischievousness that when you listen them you feel more attracted to him.
• He has ‘n’ number of shade in his personality. In his childhood, he used to steal butter but later on, he talked about the immorality of sprits and taught Geeta Gyan to Arjuna. Geeta is not only a spiritual book but it is a book which can teach you the way to live your life.
• Now, let’s talk about the celebration of the birthday of Lord Krishna. The best part of India is that we all celebrate the same festival but with a different tradition. This is the reason that despite of different tradition and states but we all are one.
• The way of celebrating Janmashtami is different in all the states of the country. Let’s see how people celebrate it all over India.

Celebration of Janmashtami

• Janmashtami is celebrated across the country with great zeal. According to Hindu calendar Janmashtami is celebrated on the eighth day of the month of Bhadrapad. The celebration of the birthday of Lord Krishna is also known as Krishnashtami or Gokulashtami.
• To witness the biggest celebration of Krishna’s birthday, you need to visit Mathura and Vrindavan on Janmashtami. Followers of Krishna come from every corner of the country to Mathura on this occasion. Decorated temples and enthused people for this particular celebration can give you an unforgettable experience.
• In Mathura, the biggest celebration of Krishna’s birthday takes place at his actual birthplace which has been converted as a temple now. Vrindavan, where Krishna raised up is like a heaven for Krishna’s devotees. They say that still, the feel of Krishna is present in Vrindavan. There are many beautiful temples in Vrindavan like Banke Bihari temple, ISKCON temple, Krishna Balram Temple, Rangnathji Temple, etc. Janmashtami is celebrated in all these temples with proper rituals.
• Dwarka is believed to be the kingdom of Lord Krishna. The grand Dwarkadish temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna. This temple gets a special decoration of beautiful flowers and different lights for the special day of Janmashtami.
• It is said that Krishna used to love to eat butter. It was called Makhan in Vrindavan. Krishna used to steal it from his neighbor’s houses to eat it. That’s why Krishna was called Makhan Chor. Maharashtra celebrates Krishna’s fondness for Makhan in the form of Dahi-Handi.
• Goa celebrates Janmashtami by making Rangoli at their homes and distributing prasad of curd and milk.
• In Manipur people celebrates it by organizing various dance and music programs in temples.
• In south India, it is celebrated by preparing some special dishes made by milk and milk products.
• Krishna’s birthday celebrated on midnight at 12. In north India, people keep fast on this day and have their satvilk meal only after midnight. People prepare many types of sweets at home to celebrate the birthday of Lord Krishna.

Wrap Up

Janmashtami celebration differs from state to state but the love for Shree Krishna remains the same. He shared the path towards the spiritual progress that take one to ultimate goal of life. We love the teachings of Lord Krishna. We are celebrating Krishna Janmashtami, we would love to know how do you celebrate Janmashtami? Tell us in the comments below!

Jai Shree Krishna!