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Krishna Janmashtami
Krishna Janmashtami is a day on which Lord Krishna was born to Devki and Vasudev. Krishna Janmashtami is also known as Gokulashtami or Gopalkala. On the occasion of Janmashtami, Dahi-Handi is played by young boys & girls. Sweets prepared using milk and milk products are served. Dahi Handi 2011 or Gopalkala 2011 date is August 22.
Krishna is the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. This religious festival is celebrated throughout India with devotion and enthusiasm on the eighth day of the Hindi calendar month, Bhadon. Janmashtami is also known as Krishnashtami, Gokulashtami and Srijayanti.
Significance
Janmashtami celebrated in Mathura and Brindawana, where Lord Krishna spent his childhood, is famous and devotees from all over India wish to be present there. The song and religious hymns praising Lord Krishna are sung all through the night. The idol of Lord Krishna as a child is bathed in a mixture of Ganga water, ghee (butter), honey, yogurt, milk, jaggery or sugar and tulsi leaves. The idol of infant Lord Krishna is then placed on the cradle and devotees sing various songs with vigor and zeal.
Janmashtami is celebrated in different ways in different places. In Maharashtra it is celebrated as Dahi-Handi, in which young boys and girls break the pots filled with yogurt and butter. These pots are hung high and group of young boys make a human pyramid and then break the pot. In some places they are even honored and prizes are given to the winning team. This custom resembles the events when Lord Krishna used to steal butter from the pots.
Celebration of Janmashtami
Most of the people have a day long fast and they worship the God in the evening. The process continues till midnight in which song, dance, rasleela (skits) and jhankis are involved. At midnight, which is considered the right time of the birth of Lord Krishna, the idol of Infant Krishna is bathed in panchamrit (mixture of milk, ghee, curd, honey and tulsi leaves) and the idol is put on the cradle and rocked.
It is a tradition that all devotees will come forward and rock the cradle and in this way they feel they have spent some time with the Lord. Some of the devotees chant the 108 names of Lord Krishna to please him.
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