Janmashtami
Date : August 21, 2011
Venue : All over India
Janmashtami is a festival which celebrates the birthday of Lord Krishna which roughly falls in the month of August. Lord Krishna, an incarnate of Vishnu, is believed to have been born for the purpose of killing King Kamsa and eradicating all evil from the world. Hence, it is a very important day for Hindus.
Also known as Sri Krishnajanmashtami, or Gokulashtami, on this day, people gather at Krishna temples, specially decorated and lit for the occasion, to recite the Bhagvad Gita, sing bhajans and fast until the time of his birth at midnight. Special cradles with statuettes of Balgopal – Krishna as a child - are installed at many temples.
The general pooja or worship begins early in the morning with devotees giving Balgopal’s idol a ritualistic bath. The bath known as abhishek is given with some of the sacred water from River Ganga, ghee, honey and curd. The idol is then adorned with new clothes, usually yellow in colour, and jewellery.
There is also a special pooja, the time of which varies from place to place. While some devotees choose to perform the pooja at midnight, the time of Krishna’s birth, and break the fast that they have been keeping till then, others do so in the evening. The fast is broken with a sip of the panchamrith followed by the prasad, made of vegetables.
Apart from these serious affairs, there are many festive activities associated with the day. The most popular one is the Matki Phorna or Uriadi, usually held as a competition. An earthen pot filled with honey, curd, fruits and butter is swung high above the ground. Members of competing teams climb on each other’s shoulders to form a human pyramid. The first team to break the pot wins.
A number of sweets and savouries are prepared on this day. Kolams, drawings on the ground in front of the house with rice flour, as well as rangolis, similar drawings with coloured powder, are also made. Footprints representing those of Krishna are drawn from the front yard to the pooja room, as a symbolic depiction of the god entering the devotee’s home.
Venue : All over India
Janmashtami is a festival which celebrates the birthday of Lord Krishna which roughly falls in the month of August. Lord Krishna, an incarnate of Vishnu, is believed to have been born for the purpose of killing King Kamsa and eradicating all evil from the world. Hence, it is a very important day for Hindus.
Also known as Sri Krishnajanmashtami, or Gokulashtami, on this day, people gather at Krishna temples, specially decorated and lit for the occasion, to recite the Bhagvad Gita, sing bhajans and fast until the time of his birth at midnight. Special cradles with statuettes of Balgopal – Krishna as a child - are installed at many temples.
The general pooja or worship begins early in the morning with devotees giving Balgopal’s idol a ritualistic bath. The bath known as abhishek is given with some of the sacred water from River Ganga, ghee, honey and curd. The idol is then adorned with new clothes, usually yellow in colour, and jewellery.
There is also a special pooja, the time of which varies from place to place. While some devotees choose to perform the pooja at midnight, the time of Krishna’s birth, and break the fast that they have been keeping till then, others do so in the evening. The fast is broken with a sip of the panchamrith followed by the prasad, made of vegetables.
Apart from these serious affairs, there are many festive activities associated with the day. The most popular one is the Matki Phorna or Uriadi, usually held as a competition. An earthen pot filled with honey, curd, fruits and butter is swung high above the ground. Members of competing teams climb on each other’s shoulders to form a human pyramid. The first team to break the pot wins.
A number of sweets and savouries are prepared on this day. Kolams, drawings on the ground in front of the house with rice flour, as well as rangolis, similar drawings with coloured powder, are also made. Footprints representing those of Krishna are drawn from the front yard to the pooja room, as a symbolic depiction of the god entering the devotee’s home.
