About Krishna Janmashtami
India is a land of diverse cultures. Hence, diverse festivals are celebrated in the country throughout the year. Among the many celebrations, Janmashtami is one of the festivals celebrated with great enthusiasm. It is celebrated every year with great splendour as Lord Krishna was born on this day. It is also known as Gokulashtami. According to the Hindu mythological belief, Lord Krishna, Devaki's eighth son, was born on the eighth day of the dark fortnight of the month of Bhadra, which falls between August and September.
History of Krishna Janmashtami
According to the Hindu legend, Kansa was the wicked monarch who governed Mathura. He married his sister to Vasudeva in order to expand his territory. Kansa also opted to lavishly treat the couple with goodies after the marriage ceremony to earn his brother-in-law's trust. So, when he takes hold of the wedding carriage, he hears a voice from heaven that tells him that his wicked actions will be terminated by the birth of his sister's eighth child. On coming to know about this prophecy, Kansa immediately put his sister Devaki and her husband, Vasudeva behind bars. Kansa even had the intention to get rid of his sister by killing her. Rather he spared her and killed all her six children in cold blood. When Devaki was pregnant with the seventh child, strangely enough, it got transferred into the womb of Rohini, Vasudeva's first wife. And thus, the child was saved from Kansa.
After some time, when Devaki became pregnant with their eighth child, Kansas was eagerly waiting to kill it. But surprisingly, God had different plans for the couple. When Devaki went into labour, Lord Vishnu himself showed up in the jail in front of Vasudeva. Lord Vishnu then told him that his eighth child, who is about to be born, will be an incarnation of himself and that his good deeds would bring an end to the evil empire of Kansas. On the night Krishna, the eighth child, was born, it was dark and gloomy with storms and thunder all around. Lord Vishnu, before leaving, puts the guards of the jail to sleep, thereby taking out Vasudeva from the prison and providing him information on how to save his son.
Accordingly, on the same night, after Lord Vishnu's departure, Vasudeva placed Krishna on a basket and carried him across the Yamuna on that stormy night. He traded their holy son for the newborn girl of Gokul's (Vrindaban) chief Nanda and his wife, Yashoda. Kansa being unaware about all this, thought that he got rid of being killed. But Krishna, eventually, while growing up in Gokul, came to know about this story of his evil uncle, Kansas, finally killing him and putting an end to his evil rule. Hence, since Krishna's birth, every eighth day (Krishna paksha) of the month of Bhadra came to be celebrated as Krishna Janmashtami.
Krishna Janmashtami 2023 Date
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When is Krishna Janmashtami 2023?
Krishna Janmashtami 2023 will be held on Thursday, 7 September.
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Krishna Janmashtami dates for the years 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025, and 2026
| Year | Weekday | Date | Name | Holiday Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | Fri | 19 Aug | Janmashtami | Gazetted Holiday |
| 2023 | Thu | 7 Sep | Janmashtami | Gazetted Holiday |
| 2024 | Mon | 26 Aug | Janmashtami | Gazetted Holiday |
| 2025 | Sat | 16 Aug | Janmashtami | Gazetted Holiday |
| 2026 | Fri | 4 Sep | Janmashtami | Gazetted Holiday |
Krishna Janmashtami Quotes
Wish you a Blessed Janmashtami
I wish you Happy Janmashtami and I pray to God for your prosperous life
Sending your way, warm heartfelt wishes. May you enjoy this joyous occasion. Happy Janmashtami!
May Makhanchor bring ananda and prosperity to your home
May Lord Krishna rid you of all your worries on this day. Happy Janmashtami!
May the festival of Janmashtami bring you joy, peace, and love. Happy Krishna Janmashtami!
I am praying for you and I know he is listening
May Lord Krishna bless you and your family with peace and happiness… Happy Krishna Janmashtami!
May Lord Krishna come to your house & take away all your Makhan- Mishri with all your worries & sorrow
It is the day when Makhan chor is born. May this day he steals all your worries and bless you with the sweetness of Makhan and mishri in life. A very Happy Janmashtami to you!
Krishna Janmashtami Wishes
May the Natkhat Nand Lal always provide you and your family with happiness, health, and prosperity.
Happy Janmashtami, May Lord Krishna showers all his blessings on you. May you get lots of happiness in life.
Krishna insisted on outer cleanliness and inner cleansing. Clean clothes and clean minds are an ideal combination.
May the blessings of Lord Krishna always be with you and your family. Wishing you and your family a very happy Janmashtami.
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna… Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare… Wishing you a happy and blessed Krishna Janmashtami!
Krishna Janmashtami Messages
May the blessings of Lord Krishna enhance each moment of your life… this Janmashtami… and always!
May Lord Krishna's flute invite the melody of love into your life. Wishing you all very Happy Janmashtami!.
Janmashtami is the occasion of fun, joy, and love and there is so much more. Wishing you a Happy Dahi Handi.
May the blessings of Lord Krishna always be with you and your family. Wishing you and your family a very Happy Janmashtami!
Mor mukut makar aakriti kundal Aur bajanti mala
Baso more nainan me nandlala.
Significance of Krishna Janmashtami
The significance of celebrating this festival lies in the fact that Krishna was believed to be born to end the tyrannical rule of his uncle, Kansas. To commemorate Lord Krishna's birth, temples in Vrindavan and Mathura are gleamed up and embellished with floral decorations. People put sculptures of baby Krisha in the crib after bath, dressing, and commencing the Janmashtami festivities since he was conceived at midnight. Worshippers and believers around the country also carry out plays commemorating the life events and bravery of Lord Krishna. His friendship, love and devotion towards Radha is also celebrated through various performances and stage shows known as Rasleela.
Ways of Celebration of Krishna Janmashtami
Since it is believed that Lord Krishna was born at midnight, the rituals and celebrations occur during the midnight hour. Temples are decorated beautifully on the occasion and play devotional songs. Some people also observe fast. Recitations of holy verses from the Bhagawad Gita are also organised in the holy shrines and temples. Small children are seen to be clad in beautiful clothes as little Krishna. On the occasion of Janmashtami, people are also seen playing Dahi-handi in several places. In this game, people hang pots filled with milk and curd in the street on different poles, and the people form pyramids by climbing upon each other. The group that reaches the top and is able to break the pots is declared the winner of this game. The significance of this game is to glorify the past acts of Lord Krishna as a child, when he used to steal curds from different homes and how he came to be known as 'makhanchor'. Out of all the Indian states, Maharashtra is famous for this game of Dahi-handi. Some other places in India also celebrate Janmashtami with great zeal and happiness. For instance:
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Vrindavan
Janmashtami is celebrated in a grand manner in Vrindavan, Mathura, where Krishna was raised and brought up. Devotees from across India visit the place to glance at the festival being celebrated there. They also offer flowers and other puja offerings to the temples of Mathura holding ceremonies on this day. Stage performances and Rasleela are held during the night in order to entertain the people about Lord Krishna's life.
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Eastern India
States like Orissa, Kolkata etc. also observe Janmashtami with great pleasure and glee. In Orissa, people hold pujas in different temples by singing verses from the Holy book. People also offer flowers and sweets to the Lord. In Bengal households, people pray and divide prasad amongst different people offering puja. Also, sugar palm fritter is common in every Bengali household on this day.
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Southern India
In South India, celebration varies from place to place. For instance, in Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, different paintings of Lord Krishna as a child are worshipped, and plates full of fruits, milk, and curd are offered. Sweets are also distributed amongst the devotees. Often, street plays and dramas are held in order to commemorate Krishna's life. In Tamil Nadu, Chennai, Karnataka, etc., people hold a fast the whole day. They draw kolams on the floors of temples and their homes too with rice batter. They sing from the Bhagawad Gita the whole night and listen to devotional songs about Lord Krishna's life.
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North-East India
Manipur, Assam observe Krishna Janmashtami every year. Some sections of the people observe fast and spend the whole day and night singing verses and holy songs praising the Lord. Floral decorations are common in temples, and folk dances are seen to be undertaken in various parts of Manipur.
Interesting Facts About Janmashtami
- Apart from India celebrating this festival, other foreign countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, New Zealand etc., also celebrate Janmashtami with great zeal and enthusiasm.
- The feather of the peacock is considered extremely sacred as an auspicious symbol of Krishna. Hence, people keep it amidst books or even in homes which is believed to bring purity in lives.
- There are also various other names of Janmashtami. For instance: Gokulashtami, Shree Krishna Jayanti, Krishnashtami, Ashtami Rohini and so on.
- Janmashtami is held for two consecutive days in some parts of the country. The first day for Smarta Sampradaya and the second day for Vaishnava Sampradaya.
- Nandotsava- a celebration with curd and turmeric along with different flowers is another beautiful ceremony observed on the day of Janmashtami.
Krishna Janmashtami 2023 Date
Krishna Janmashtami 2023 will be held on 7 September.
