Eight days after the full moon of Shravan, falls the festival of
Janmashtami, the birthday of Lord Krishna. Krishna Janmashtami is an
important festival in the Hindu calendar. The first day is Krishnashtami
or Gokulashtami. The second day is called Kalastami or more popularly
Janmashtami. It is celebrated with great devotion through out the
country. Vrindhavan, Mathura, Dwaraka are the most popular Krishna
temples as it is beleived that Lord Krishna lived here. In all these
locations, janmashtami is celebrated with lot of splendour. The image of
the infant Bala Krishna is bathed and is cradled in the midnight time.
The conch shell is blown and the devotees celebrate the birth of the
Protector of the world by singing devotional songs and by dancing with
great joy. In these places Janmashtami celebration has a special
significance as these places has an association with Lord Krishna. So
the rituals associated with the festival are followed. In some part of
the North India, Krishna Jayanthi is celebrated for three days. The
first two days are celebrated in a colorful manner. On the second day of
the festival a popular ceremony known as 'Dahi Handi' takes place where
the pot containing curd or butter or milk is broken by the youths.
Dahikala or Govinda, as the festival of tying pots of yogurt and milk,
and breaking them is called, is a special event in Mumbai and other
cities of Maharashtra.
In Braja Mandala, especially Gokula and Mathura, this festival is
celebrated with great possible religious fervor and enthusiasm and the
chanting mantras are echoed in the air. People from distant places
congregate to Mathura and Vrindavan on this day to participate in the
festival. The piety and fast observed on this day ensure birth of many
good sons, and salvation after the death. Reading and recitation of the
Bhagvatam and Geet Govindam are most recommended on this day. The number
of temples dedicated to Sri Krishna is few. The reason being that people
have taken to worship him through paintings and not through temple
images. The Rajagopalaswami temple in Mannargudi in the Tiruvarur
district, BalaKrishna temple at Udupi, Krishna temple at Guruvayur and
Pandavadhoothar temple in Kanchivaram are dedicated to the memory of
Vishnu's incarnation as Sri Krishna. In these places this day is
celebrated with great grandeur and devotion.
