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Janmashtami Festival :
The auspicious day of the appearance of Lord Krishna is celebrated all over the world as Sri Krishna Janmashtami. It is celebrated on the eighth day of the Krishna Paksha (waning moon) of the month of Shraavan. Krishna, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appeared in Mathura as son of Vasudeva and Devaki.
“As stated in the Bhagavad-gita, the Lord says that His appearance, birth, and activities, are all transcendental, and one who understands them factually becomes immediately eligible to be transferred to the spiritual world. “ – Chapter 3: Birth of Lord Krishna,Krishna Book by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
Janmashtami Observance
Brought to you by Krishna.com
But what if you don’t live near a temple? What if you can’t make it to a major celebration Does that mean you can’t observe Janmashtami? Of course not. It is our sincere devotion that pleases Krishna most, and this can be offered anywhere. So to help you feel more connected to the Lord and His devotees on this special day, here are Krishna.com’s tips on how to celebrate Janmashtami at home:
· # Invite all your friends and family to participate in the festivities.
· # Decorating your home for Krishna can be fun, particularly for children. Encourage them in helping to make garlands, hanging balloons and festoons of leaves, and generally making the house beautiful for Krishna’s appearance.
· # You can also chant extra rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra on yourjapa mala (prayer beads). This is an intimate one on one exchange with Krishna, and makes you feel much closer to the Lord.
Janmashtami, or 'Krishna Janmashtami', celebrates the birth of Sri Krishna, regarded as the most venerated in the Hindu pantheon of deities. According to Hindu belief, baby Krishna was born at midnight in Bhado month. The sacred day of Janmashtami celebrates the beautiful moments of Shri Krishna depicted as a child. Sri Krishna is revered as a representation of joy and simplicity and this aspect is brought out very well throughout the episodes in Mahabharata. Lord Krishna represents the joyful spirit in all of us that we should invoke even when we face situations in life. The deeper message of Shri Krishna Janmashtami is that we should make efforts towards imbibing these aspects of Lord Krishna to wade easily through life.
How to Celebrate Janmashtami
To celebrate Krishna Janmashtami, devotees observe fasting early on and continue fasting till the auspicious time of baby Krishna's birth arrives. Then they bathe the infant Krishna and adorn him with new clothes and jewellery, and rock him in a cradle. This is followed by ritualistic 'puja', 'aarti' and a whole repertoire of devotional songs and dance performances. Janmashtami 'prasad' is offered to the idol of baby Krishna and devotees break their fast after partaking of this holy food.
The celebration of Janmashtami still carries on with the same fervor, sticking to the traditions of enacting episodes from Lord Krishna's life which are typically fun and playful moments. Deep devotion and elation and strong sense of solidarity is at the heart of Janmashtami celebration. In general, 'Rasa Lila' is performed everywhere, wherein the life and events of Lord Krishna's youthful days and his romance with gopis or devotees is depicted to the rhythm of dance and music. 'Dahi-handi', wherein young boys climb up a human pyramid to break a pot filled with a concoction of milk, yoghurt, butter, honey and dry fruits, is the most popular of customs followed on Krishna Janmashtami. Competitions are held and prizes given as it tests one's courage and perseverance on Janmashtami. Plays are organized around Lord Krishna and Radha, and traditional dances performed.
Janmashtami celebration in Vrindavan
Vrindavan and Mathura is the stronghold of Janmashtami celebration. In Vrindavan, which is home to Banke Bihari Temple housing Banke Bihari, another endearing name for Lord Krishna, huge elaborate preparations are made including lighting and decoration. ISKCON temple, dedicated to Krishna consciousness sees large-scale participation of devotees. Apart from the devotional songs and mantras, 'Raasleela' is performed by several professional artists for Vrindavan sees huge gatherings of devotees from all across the country. There is no limitation to the number of plays and skits being staged in Shri Krishna Janmashtami programmes.
Sumptuous meals are served as families and relations get together. Sweets made of milk, butter and ghee are prepared in bulk and offered to guests generously.
The auspicious day of the appearance of Lord Krishna is celebrated all over the world as Sri Krishna Janmashtami. It is celebrated on the eighth day of the Krishna Paksha (waning moon) of the month of Shraavan. Krishna, who is the Supreme Personality of Godhead, appeared in Mathura as son of Vasudeva and Devaki.
“As stated in the Bhagavad-gita, the Lord says that His appearance, birth, and activities, are all transcendental, and one who understands them factually becomes immediately eligible to be transferred to the spiritual world. “ – Chapter 3: Birth of Lord Krishna,Krishna Book by His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
Janmashtami Observance
- a day long fast
- worshipping Bal Krishna during midnight
- visiting Krishna temple
- cooking sweet dishes specially made of milk product and offer it to lord krishna.
Brought to you by Krishna.com
But what if you don’t live near a temple? What if you can’t make it to a major celebration Does that mean you can’t observe Janmashtami? Of course not. It is our sincere devotion that pleases Krishna most, and this can be offered anywhere. So to help you feel more connected to the Lord and His devotees on this special day, here are Krishna.com’s tips on how to celebrate Janmashtami at home:
· # Invite all your friends and family to participate in the festivities.
· # Decorating your home for Krishna can be fun, particularly for children. Encourage them in helping to make garlands, hanging balloons and festoons of leaves, and generally making the house beautiful for Krishna’s appearance.
· # You can also chant extra rounds of the Hare Krishna mantra on yourjapa mala (prayer beads). This is an intimate one on one exchange with Krishna, and makes you feel much closer to the Lord.
Janmashtami, or 'Krishna Janmashtami', celebrates the birth of Sri Krishna, regarded as the most venerated in the Hindu pantheon of deities. According to Hindu belief, baby Krishna was born at midnight in Bhado month. The sacred day of Janmashtami celebrates the beautiful moments of Shri Krishna depicted as a child. Sri Krishna is revered as a representation of joy and simplicity and this aspect is brought out very well throughout the episodes in Mahabharata. Lord Krishna represents the joyful spirit in all of us that we should invoke even when we face situations in life. The deeper message of Shri Krishna Janmashtami is that we should make efforts towards imbibing these aspects of Lord Krishna to wade easily through life.
How to Celebrate Janmashtami
To celebrate Krishna Janmashtami, devotees observe fasting early on and continue fasting till the auspicious time of baby Krishna's birth arrives. Then they bathe the infant Krishna and adorn him with new clothes and jewellery, and rock him in a cradle. This is followed by ritualistic 'puja', 'aarti' and a whole repertoire of devotional songs and dance performances. Janmashtami 'prasad' is offered to the idol of baby Krishna and devotees break their fast after partaking of this holy food.
The celebration of Janmashtami still carries on with the same fervor, sticking to the traditions of enacting episodes from Lord Krishna's life which are typically fun and playful moments. Deep devotion and elation and strong sense of solidarity is at the heart of Janmashtami celebration. In general, 'Rasa Lila' is performed everywhere, wherein the life and events of Lord Krishna's youthful days and his romance with gopis or devotees is depicted to the rhythm of dance and music. 'Dahi-handi', wherein young boys climb up a human pyramid to break a pot filled with a concoction of milk, yoghurt, butter, honey and dry fruits, is the most popular of customs followed on Krishna Janmashtami. Competitions are held and prizes given as it tests one's courage and perseverance on Janmashtami. Plays are organized around Lord Krishna and Radha, and traditional dances performed.
Janmashtami celebration in Vrindavan
Vrindavan and Mathura is the stronghold of Janmashtami celebration. In Vrindavan, which is home to Banke Bihari Temple housing Banke Bihari, another endearing name for Lord Krishna, huge elaborate preparations are made including lighting and decoration. ISKCON temple, dedicated to Krishna consciousness sees large-scale participation of devotees. Apart from the devotional songs and mantras, 'Raasleela' is performed by several professional artists for Vrindavan sees huge gatherings of devotees from all across the country. There is no limitation to the number of plays and skits being staged in Shri Krishna Janmashtami programmes.
Sumptuous meals are served as families and relations get together. Sweets made of milk, butter and ghee are prepared in bulk and offered to guests generously.