Janmashtami 2022

Janmashtami is a festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna. It is celebrated on the eighth (Ashtami) day in the month of Bhadrapada. It is widely celebrated, especially in Mathura and Vrindavan, where Lord Krishna was born. Other parts of India, like Udupi, Karnataka in the north and Manipur in the south, and cities like Mumbai and Pune, celebrate Janmashtami with great zeal and joy. 

The celebrations begin in the evening, after the sunset and it becomes dark outside. This is because Lord Krishna was born in the nighttime, and it rained throughout that day. It was a stormy and windy day. 

A sculpture of Lord Krishna is worshipped on this day. Before worshipping him, it is a ritual to bathe with milk or water and dress up nicely in new clothes. Everything is meticulously taken care of, from the mukut he used to wear to his flute (bansuri), and then worshiped.

It is celebrated everywhere, with temples being decorated nicely. Some temples also display the highlights of Lord Krishna’s life, presented in a series of tableaus.

People keep fast on this day. Fasting on this day is considered 100 or 1000 times more powerful than fasting on the auspicious day of Ekadashi. Fasting is done to attain the point of peace and connect with the soul and increase the devotion and concentration toward Lord Krishna. People celebrate the day by singing, dancing, and enjoying the bhajans. They visit various temples. Sweets are offered at the time of the pooja and then distributed among all. Parents dress up their 1-3-year-old kids like little Krishnas and get clicked. It is a fun day because, at 11:59, DahiHandi is also celebrated.

As a child, Krishna was also called Makhanchor because he used to steal buttermilk and never get caught. During this time, a matki is hung, and a group of people form a pyramid and break the pot together. To make it even more challenging for them, people around them splash water on them. They break the matki (pot) after failing and attempting a few times. This is called DahiHandi and is the highlight of the day. The energy and vibe of the day are something you will not be able to experience on any other day throughout the year!

Krishna Janmashtami 2022 will fall on August 18 which is Thursday.

The story behind the tradition

Kansa was an evil king who ruled Mathura. He got his sister Devika was married to Vasudeva. But he got a message from the heavenly bodies that the birth of their eighth child would lead to the destruction of his evil powers.

Kansa wanted to kill Devika, but Vasudeva promised that he would give all his children in his hands at the stake of saving Devika’s life. So, Kansa killed the first six children. When the seventh child was born, some supernatural power intervened and the child was transferred from her womb to the womb of Rohini, Vasudeva’s first wife. The seventh child was safely born. When Devika got pregnant for the eighth time, God had some other plans than what Kansa had wished! The eighth child was said to be the avatar of Lord Vishnu. During the last few days of her pregnancy, one night, Lord Vishnu appeared to give instructions, broke all the locks, and put everybody to sleep with his powers. He guided Vasudeva and vanished! He promised that if Vasudeva followed his instructions, they would be able to kill the evil king and his kingdom.

Vasudeva followed the instructions on that stormy night. He carried his son in a bucket and exchanged it with the daughter of Nanda and Yashoda from Gokul. That is how Krishna was safely born in Gokul.Kansa was an evil king who ruled Mathura. He got his sister Devika married to Vasudeva. But he got a message from the heavenly bodies that the birth of their eighth child would lead to the destruction of his evil powers.

Kansa wanted to kill Devika but Vasudeva promised that he would give all his children in his hands at the stake of saving Devika’s life. So, Kansa killed the first six children. When the seventh child was born, some supernatural power intervened and the child got transferred from her womb to the womb of Rohini, Vasudeva’s first wife. The seventh child was safely born. When Devika got pregnant the eighth time, God had some other plans than what Kansa wished! The eighth child was said to be the avatar of Lord Vishnu. During the last few days of her pregnancy, one night Lord Vishnu appeared to give instructions, broke all the locks, and put everybody to sleep with his powers. He guided Vasudeva and vanished! He promised that if Vasudeva follows his instructions, they will be able to kill the evil king and his kingdom.

Vasudeva followed the instructions on that stormy night. He carried his son in a bucket and exchanged with the daughter of Nanda and Yashoda from Gokul. That is how Krishna was safely born in Gokul.