Shri Krishna Janmashtami
What Is Shri Krishna Janmashtami And What Does It Signify?
Shri Krishna Janmashtami, a festival of forever religious significance and reverence, is an auspicious day commemorating the birth of Lord Krishna, the eighth incarnation of divine Lord Vishnu. The festival takes place annually on Ashtami during Krishna Paksha of BhadrapadaMasa. It is also known as Janmashtami.
On this day, the staunch devotees of Lord Krishna worship the divine lord. Many places in India where the festival is celebrated witness grand fair organised to commiserate the birthday of Lord Krishna.
What Does The Janmashtami Festival Signify?
The Shri Krishna Janmashtami Festival signifies the religious sentiments of its devotees. Moreover, it signifies the vibrant culture of India, accentuating how the country is home to countless festivals representing its deep-rooted and ancient religious sentiments for gods and goddesses. On this day, devotees observe fast and take Sankalp to ensure that the fasting is uninterrupted and no negative behaviour/thinking is entertained as long as the festival lasts or when Rohini Nakshatra or Ashtami Tithi concludes. Sankalp, in this context, lays the groundwork for starting day-long fasting with religious purity and sanctity intact.
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Why Is Janmashtami Celebrated?
The festival of Janmashtami or Shri Krishna Janmashtami is celebrated to honour the birth of Lord Krishna, who was born at the stroke of midnight, in the prison cell, to his mother Devaki, and father Vasudeva, at Mathura. Therefore, the festival is celebrated not only to commemorate the birth of Lord Krishna but also as a day of conveying a devotee’s unflinching devotion toward the divine lord, Krishna.
Who Is Worshipped On Shri Krishna Janmashtami?
The festival of Shri Krishna Janmashtami is dedicated to Lord Krishna commemorating his birthday. Therefore, Lord Krishna is worshipped on this day. Devotees observe fast and offer reverential regard to the lord on Shri Krishna Janmashtami.
Places Where Shri Krishna Janmashtami Is Celebrated In India:
- Maharashtra
- Gujarat
- Rajasthan
- Northern places, mainly Mathura of Uttar Pradesh, and other places like Delhi, Haryana, etc.
- Eastern and north-eastern places in India like Odisha and West Bengal.
- Andhra Pradesh
History Of Shri Krishna Janmashtami
The history of Shri Krishna Janmashtami refers to the birth of the divine lord Krishna at a time when his parents were serving jail terms in Mathura by the royal order of the king, Kansa.
According to the epic Mahabharata, the tyrant king of Mathura, Kansa, subjected his newly-wedded sister (Devaki) and brother-in-law (Vasudeva) to rigorous jail imprisonment, just because he was prophesized to be killed by the eighth son born from Devaki. Out of intractable hatred for the couple, Kansa orders his royal guards to keep a vigil on them, ensuring he stays informed of every childbirth of Devaki.
The cycle of childbirth and Kansa killing the infants continued for a long until Devaki gave birth to baby Krishna, her eighth child. Before that, when Devaki conceived the sixth child, she transferred it to the womb of Rohini, the first wife of her husband, Vasudeva.
When baby Krishna was born, the divine magic fell upon the jail as all the guards fell asleep, and the prison lock of Devaki and Vasudeva opened automatically. Since Devaki was asleep out of childbirth pain, Vasudeva put the baby Krishna in a wicker basket. After battling through many difficulties on his way to Gokul at the midnight, he finally reached there.
Vasudeva placed baby Krishna besides the asleep Yashoda, the wife of Gokul’s head, Nanda.
Vasudeva, with Yashoda’s newly-born daughter, returned to his prison cell and placed the child beside asleep Devaki. The legend has it that Kansa couldn’t kill the child who prophesied to him that the child meant to kill him was already born and is somewhere safe.
Later, Kansa was killed by Lord Krishna, thus giving respite to Mathura-dwellers from Kansa’s tyranny.
Conclusion
Shri Krishna Janmashtami, a religious festival dedicated to Lord Krishna, is celebrated to commemorate his birth, at the stroke of midnight. The festival enjoys nationwide popularity in India, as well as it is grandly celebrated in other countries, including Nepal and Mauritius. On this day, devotees of Krishna worship him for peace, happiness, and prosperity in their lives. Do you have something on mind to share with our astrologer? Our Best Online Astrologer will always help you with right solutions.
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