India is considered as the land of celebration and festivals. Through the various rituals, traditions, and religions, one can see the rich cultural heritage. People of India are strongly connected with the traditional values, temples, epics, and Vedas. Hinduism is constructed with the basic of two major epics, such as Mahabaratha and Ramayana. These two epics played an vital part in the Hindu community to shape the cultural heritage and ethical development. Indian people express their feelings and their cultural heritage in the form of festivals and celebrations, particularly these celebrations are mostly connected with the epic story of gods and legends or to remember legendary acts of ancestors. Like wise, many diverse Indian religious celebrations connect the people of India all around the world, like Holi, Diwali, Christmas, Durga pooja, Ramadan, Baishakhi, Onam, Raksha Bandhan, and so many other festivals. Krishna Janmashtami is one of the prominent Hindu festivals in India. This festival is celebrated to remember the birth of Lord Krishna, and most importantly, he is the avatar of powerful deity Lord Vishnu, who is the god of protector and sustainer. On this auspicious day, devotees of Lord Krishna celebrate it by following the fast, chanting devotional songs, and reciting the Bhagavad Gita.
BIRTH AND CELEBRATION
Krishna Jayanti is a celebration of joy and a significant Hindu tradition. Lord Krishna was born on the eighth day (Ashtami) of Krishna Paksha in the month of Shravan, according to the Hindu calendar and scriptures. He was born in Mathura to Devaki and Vasudeva. Lord Krishna's birthday is considered and even symbolized as the day of victory over evil, so the devotees of Lord Krishna perform many rituals like bhajans, dances, preaching, and singing by showing compassion and reinforcing the values of love toward the Lord Krishna; this shows that the eternal divine presence took part in every person's life.
LEGENDRY MYTHS AND STORIES OF KRISHNA JANMASHTAMI
There are numerous reasons why the birth of Krishna is considered an important celebration. The birth of Krishna faces a lot of struggle because of a prophecy given to his uncle King Kamsa. Lord Krishna was born to Devaki and Vasudeva; he was destined to defeat the evil King Kamsa to ensure the victory of good over evil. He defeated all the demons summoned by Kamsa to kill Lord Krishna, but as per Krishna's born destination, he defeated all the demons summoned by Kansa, and finally he liberated the people of Mathura from cruel King Kansa by killing him.
Apart from liberating the people of Mathura from Kansa, he protected the people from various life-threatening problems, including from 'Devas'. When Lord Indra unveiled his wrath on the people of Mathura, Lord Krishna protected them from torrential rains by lifting the Govardhan Hill. This shows Krishna's role in protecting the people as a guardian and supreme power.
During his childhood, Lord Krishna is depicted as a playful child in Vrindavan. His playful and mischievous character is illustrated in stories as a 'Makhan Chor' (butter thief); he steals the butter from the homes of village women. Krishna's playful character, including his divine play like leelas with goips (cowherd maidens) of Vrindavan and along with her beloved dear Radha. During this enchanting dance, he multiplies himself to accompany each gopi. This playful character of Krishna highlights his connection with nature and the world around him. He leads the people and teaches the lessons about love, care, devotion, and to avoid worldly worries, making him a great deity of wisdom.
POOJA CELEBRATION
Lord Krishna is the most revered deity of Hinduism; during this auspicious day, everyone conducts the traditional ritual worship with great devotion and joy. The preparation starts with the cleaning process; devotees clean their home and decorate it with devotional leaves, flowers, and other essential pooja items. The floor will be colored with rangolis (spiritual patterns made with colored powder) and tiny footprints of kids that lead to the pooja altar; this is believed to be that Lord Krishna will visit their home. To represent the birth of baby Krishna, a small cradle will be prepared, and it will include an idol or image, tulsi (holy basil leaves), incense, and fresh flowers. Sweets and snacks are prepared, especially with butter, along with some other traditional south Indian sweets like laddu, payasam, milk halwa, and so on. The ritual begins with the idol of Krishna that is bathed with panchamrit; it is a mixture of ghee, yogurt, honey, milk, and sugar; the idol was dressed with new clothes and ornaments. The devotees start to sing devotional songs, or bhajans, by praising Krishna's leelas and his teachings. An important part of the pooja, the devotees start to read the Bhagavad Gita and other holy scriptures that recount the Lord Krishna's teachings and stories. Using a waving lamp (Aarati), the pooja will be concluded, and the prasad (consecrated food) will be distributed among the devotees, which symbolizes that the prasad is blessed by Lord Krishna. Then the devotees will stay awake until the midnight of Krishna's birth by doing meditation, singing, ringing bells, and chanting his mantra, creating a wonderful and sacred atmosphere.
DAHI HANDI
Another important event during the Gokulashtami celebration is 'Dahi Handi'. It is a popular and cheerful traditional game conducted in the particular states of Maharashtra and Gujarat in India. This traditional game shows the Lord Krishna's playful and mischievous behavior, and as a symbol of this behavior, the Dahi Handi game is celebrated. Lord Krishna, as a child he was so fond of stealing the butter from pots, but the clay pots are hung up high in the homes of his village. In order to represent this particular behavior, a clay pot contained with curd, butter, and ghee is hung at the safest height, and the young men from the village form a human pyramid to break the pot with the chanting of Govindas.
The young men start their training for weeks to master and perfect the coordination with balance. During this celebration, it is accompanied with music, dances, and cheering from their respective teams. Apart from the physical strength, it shows the unity among people and their dedicated devotion towards Lord Krishna. This Dahi Handi brings communities together to celebrate the festival with joy and devotion.
FOOTPRINTS OF LITTLE KRISHNA
In the Krishna Janmashtami celebration, children play the joyful role by representing the baby Krishna. This reflects the spirit of life, along with their innocence and enthusiasm. Parents make their kids dress like Krishna and Radha, as well as they make their kids leave foot impressions in their home from the entrance to the pooja space, which denotes the Lord Krishna's presence in their home. These types of activities not only make the celebration spiritual and lively but also help the kids to learn the importance of life and the teachings of Lord Krishna. Even schools often organize special events for children to sing devotional songs, perform dances, and play Krishna. This gives a deep connection to the children with tradition, spiritual heritage, and the ethics of life, which are taught by Lord Krishna. By incorporating the kids into these types of activities, it will help them to understand the significance of festivals and the values of devotion, righteousness, and teamwork. This will help the children to preserve and pass on the tradition of Gokulashtami to the next generation.
PATH OF KRISHNA JANMASHTAMI
Krishna Janmashtami is not only just a celebration or ritual, but it offers us the timeless teachings of Lord Krishna. People across the globe engage with various rituals like fasting, singing devotional songs, and participating in Dahi Handi. This type of celebration is an opportunity to connect with the people, foster divine spirituality, and foster a sense of humanity. Lord Krishna inspired the people with approachable of human-like qualities and taught the values of love, duty, devotion, righteousness, and compassion. If you are looking to buy traditional Indian and Sri Lankan groceries, sweets, snacks, and pooja items, you can explore our special page for Krishna Jayanti in our Budget Mart UK. We are also exclusively providing Krishna costume kits for your little ones. So enjoy and celebrate this Krishna Janmashtami with your family and friends.
We behold what we are, and we are what we behold. - The Bhagavad Gita
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