Janmashtami, also known as Krishna Janmashtami or Gokulashtami, celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna - the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu and one of the most beloved deities in Hinduism. Observed on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the dark fortnight in the month of Bhadrapada (August), the festival commemorates the divine birth of Krishna at midnight in the prison of Mathura, where his parents Devaki and Vasudeva were imprisoned by the tyrant king Kamsa.
The mythology surrounding Krishna's birth is dramatic and miraculous. At the stroke of midnight, as Krishna was born, the prison doors opened miraculously, the guards fell asleep, and Vasudeva carried the newborn across the flooding Yamuna River to Gokul, where he was raised by foster parents Yashoda and Nanda. This story of divine intervention is reenacted through elaborate jhankis (tableaux) in temples across India.
In Mathura and Vrindavan, the birthplace and childhood home of Krishna, Janmashtami celebrations are extraordinary. Temples are decorated extravagantly, and devotees fast throughout the day, breaking their fast only after midnight when the birth moment is celebrated with aarti, abhishekam of baby Krishna's idol, and distribution of panchamrit (a sacred mixture of milk, yogurt, honey, ghee, and sugar). The Dahi Handi tradition in Maharashtra involves young men forming human pyramids to break a pot of curd hung high above the ground, reenacting young Krishna's playful butter-stealing antics.
Across India, homes and temples resound with devotional songs (bhajans) about Krishna's childhood exploits - his butter stealing (Makhan Chor), his enchanting flute playing, and his divine sports with the gopis. The Bhagavad Gita, Krishna's timeless discourse on duty and spirituality, is recited, and cultural programs depicting scenes from Krishna's life are staged throughout the day and night.
