JANMASHTAMI-BIRTHDATE OF LORD KRISHNA.

 

 

 

Janmastami. Jai Sri Krishna.Girdhar Gopal.Chakra-dhaari.

Haathi- Ghoda Palqui- Jai Kanhaiya Lal-ki.

Janmastami,  the eighth day of the second fortnight of the month of Shravana  will be celebrated through out the country with great pomp and grandeur. The Eight also has significance in the Lord Krishna legend that he is the 8th of the 10 avatar of Lord Vishnu and the Eighth child of mother, Devaki.

 

Janmastami is observed with particular splendor in Mathura and Brindaban, the scenes of Lord Krishna's childhood and early youth. The preceding day devotees keep a vigil and fast until midnight.

Holy image of Lord Krishna is bathed in water and milk, dressed in new robes, and worshipped. Temples and household shrines are decorated with Asopalav, and flowers, sweetmeats are offered to the Lord and then distributed as prasada  to all and sundry. The devotees  commemorate the event by preparing elaborate representations of Mathura, the Yamuna River and Gokul. With Milk-pot on tall poles in the street, and athletes form a live pyramid to reach and hit the pot, this is in imitation of Lord Krishna's childhood, when they stole the curds hung out of reach by their mothers. The festival is also a time for group singing and dancing, in both the folk and the classical traditions.

Janmastami, is of special religious importance in Haryana because it was on a battlefield at Kurukshetra that Lord Krishna delivered to Arjuna the teachings contained in the Bhagavadgita.

Mathura was ruled by Kansa maternal-uncle of Sri Krishna. His sister Devaki, was married to Vasudeva. It was predicted that Sri Krishna would be born to Devaki and would kill Kansa. This enraged Kansa and he had all the male child of Devaki killed, after imprisoning Devaki and Vasudeva. But since the eight avatar of Lord Vishnu was bound to kill Kansa, Sri Krishna was born in midnight. All the other children born to Devaki,  were killed.

The day the Lord  was born it was raining heavily and there was thunder and lightning. Vasudeva came out of the jail with the child and found that the guards were in swoon. With the help of Seshnag, who protected them  from the torrential rains, Vasudeva managed to save the Baby Lord from the cruel clutches of Kansa. Yashoda living across the Yamuna river had delivered a female child. Since she was also in a swoon, Vasudeva exchanged and placed Baby Lord  near her and took away the female child. Kansa tried to get rid of the child but the child vanished into thin air by predicting “who was going to kill him was already born.” Finally, Sri Krishna killed Kansa.  Jai Sri Krishna.