“Janmashtami” is the auspicious celebration of the birth of Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna- another incarnation of Lord Vishnu, who was born in Mathura. Lord Krishna’s birth was very tragedic and remained a historic saga in Hindu mythology. During his birth, the whole universe was in joy as it was going to put an end to Dwapara Yuga.
Janmashtami or Gokulashtami is one of the major festivals in India. This festival held on Hindu month Bhadra, as he was born on the eighth day of the Krishna Paksha of Bhadrapad month in Rohini Nakshatra (star) at midnight.
The Janmashtami puja starts at midnight (Krishna’s birth time). People continue fasting until puja ends.
Firstly, devotees bathe the idol of Balkrishna with “Panchamrut” (Milk, Ghee, Curd, Honey & Sugar). Thereafter, people anoint tilak to Balkrishna’s idol and worn the idol with new clothes. Then the idol is being placed into a cradle or throne decorated with flowers.
The idol is offered “Phalahar” (fruits, dry fruits, sweets, & laddoos) along with his favorite “Makhan” (Indian butter).
Lord Krishna was the epic character of Mahabharat. His birth was destined to kill his maternal uncle, the cruel king of Mathura– ‘Kamsa’. Krishna was the son of King Vasudeva and Mathura queen Devaki and was raised by Yashoda and Nandraja.
Lord Krishna’s birth story is known as “Krishna Leela”. Click on the video to watch his historic birth story:
Feature Image Credit: Halley Pacheco de Oliveira / CC BY-SA (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)