Krishna Janmashtami (Devanagari कृष्ण जन्मामी kṛṣṇa janmāṣṭami), also known as Krishnashtami or Gokulashtami is an annual commemoration of the birth of Bhagwan (Lord) Krishna, the eighth avatar of God Lord Shri Vishnu.The festival is celebrated on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the Krishna Paksha (dark fortnight) of the month of Bhadrapada (August–September).
This year it is on August 28th and 29thLegend of Janmashtami
"Janamashtmi has an interesting story behind its origin and celebration. There was a king of Mathura named Kansa who was a wicked king. He was also known to be as the uncle of Sri Krishna. He had a sister Devaki whose husband was Vasudeva. There was a prediction that Sri Krishna will born to Devaki and he would kill Kansa, the wicked king. Kansa, on found this, got enraged and killed all the male child of Devaki. then he got Devaki and Vasudeva imprisoned. But the way this prediction was made, there will be the eighth avatar of lord vishnu who would kill Kansa, So, being an eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu, he was born in the middle of the night.After this, Vasudeva came out of the jail after finding all the guards in the hypnotic sleep. He, with the help of Sheshnag, who saved the child from the torrential rains managed to save this child from the clutches of the king Kansa. Yashoda, a lady who was living across the river Yamuna, also gave birth to a female child. Vasudeva exchanged the child and placed Sri Krishna there and brought with him the female child. In the meantime, Kansa reached there and wanted to get rid of the child. As he was about to kill the child, the child disappeared into the air by uttering the prediction that the person he wanted to kill was already born. Finally, Sri Krishna kills the wicked king, Kansa."Hindus in India, especially in North India celebrate
Janmashtami by fasting and staying up until midnight, the time when Lord Krishna is believed to have been born. Images of Lord Krishna's infancy are placed in swings and cradles in temples and homes. At midnight devotees gather around for devotional songs, dance and exchange gifts. Some temples also conduct reading of the Hindu
religious scripture Bhagavad Gita.
Ras lila, dramatic enactments of the life of Lord Krishna, are a special feature in regions of
Mathura and
Vrindavan in North, and regions following Vaishnavism in Manipur in North East.
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| Playful and mischievous Lord Krishna |
While the Rasa lila re-creates the romantic aspects of Krishna's youthful days, the Dahi Handi celebrate God's playful and mischievous sideWATCH THE GREATEST EXTRAVAGANZA ON EARTH-29TH AUGUST AT MUMBAIIn Maharashtra
Janmaashtami/ Gokulashtami ( Marathi- गोकुळाष्टमी ), popularly known in Mumbai and Pune as
Dahi Handi, is celebrated with enormous zeal and enthusiasm.
Dahi Handi is celebrated on the next day of
Janmashtami, during Nanda Utsav. A pot with the mixture of curd, milk, dry fruits, ghee etc is hung by the means of a rope about 20-30 feet high. Contestants form a human pyramid to get their hands on the desired pot.
It is definitely a challenging game to get hold of it as eager contestants make their way up to it, water is sprayed on them continuously by the onlookers to distract them. A lot of money as silver coins that are tied to the pot are handed to the winner (Team) who gets hold of the pot. The topmost person on the human pyramid tries to break the
handi (Pot) by hitting it with a blunt object. Mostly Nariyal (coconut) is preferred being a sign of purity and truth in Hinduism. When that happens, the buttermilk is spilled over the entire group, symbolizing their achievement through unity. Handis are set up around the city, and groups of youngsters, called
Govinda or
Bal Gopals, travel around in trucks trying to break as many handis as possible during the day. The sport is based on the legends about Krishna stealing makhan (butter) or dahi(curd) from handis.
A great spectacle and fun to watch, indeed!
Govinda was started somewhere in the eighteenth century in
Girgaum in Mumbai.
The technical side is the sport has four parameters: height of the Handi, width of the place under the Handi, number of people to perform the Govinda, and the number of layers to perform the Handi break. Centring exactly under the Handi is a matter of skill. Very often, centering is not proper or the pyramid would simply collapse either due to misbalancing or due to spectator’s mischief of throwing water on Govindas.
A great spectacle and fun to watch, indeed!
Awesome video
Therefore wherever you are, make a point to come to Mumbai to watch this greatest show on earth!Puja date Time
28th August 2013(Wednesday)24:05+ to 24:51+That is midnight 00.05 hrs of August 28th, Wednesday 2013 to 00.51 hrsDuration = 0 Hours 45 MinsIn today’s fast paced world the Puja is a matter of faith, time available and convenience.Suggestions:- If possible, keep a fast whole day of 27th or at least one time. You can take fruits or a non-grain food
- Get Lord Krishna's idol (If possible cradle and conch) and keep it at an appropriate place
- New clothes, flute and ornaments for Lord Krishna
- Pooja thali containing a bell, diya, rice, elaichi(cardamom), supari, paan leaves, roli, small container filled with water, sindoor, incense sticks, flowers and ghee.
- For Panchamrit -smilk, curd, gangajal, honey and ghee.
- A book containing shri Krishna's arti.
- Decorate idol. Celebrate the birth with singing Bhajans, Chanting mantra “Om Namo Bhagvatey Vasudevai Namah ‘ ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय ‘ and then Aarti
- Or you can also chant 108 times "om sri krishnaya namaha"
JANMASHTAMI Wall Papers:
HereSources:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Govinda_sporthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krishna_Janmashtami