Krishna Janmashtami 2023: Date, History, Significance, Rituals

Krishna Janmashtami 2023: Janmashtami commemorates the birth of Lord Krishna, the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu on Earth. Lord Krishna’s birth represents the triumph of virtue over evil. On Krishna Janmashtami, Lord Krishna devotees offer prayers and numerous rituals inspired by the life of Baby Krishna are performed across the nation.

‘Janm’ signifies birth, whereas ‘Ashtami’ means the eighth. Lord Krishna was the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu and was born on the eighth tithi as the eighth son of Vasudev and Yashoda.

When is the Janmashtami festival held?

Bhagavan Sri Krishna was born at midnight on the Ashtami tithi on the eighth day of the month under the Rohini Nakshatra. The birth month of Lord Krishna is Shravan according to the Amanta calendar and Bhadrapad according to the Purnimantha calendar. This corresponds to the months of August and September on the English calendar, with the precise date dependent on the lunar cycle.

The background of Sri Krishna Jayanti

According to mythology, Krishna was the eighth child of Mathura’s Yadava clan’s Princess Devaki and her spouse Vasudeva. Kansa, Devaki’s brother and the king of Mathura at the time, murdered all of Devaki’s children to prevent the fulfilment of a prophecy that stated he would be slain by Devaki’s eighth son. When Krishna was born, Vasudeva took him to the home of a friend in the Mathura district of Gokul. Subsequently, Krishna was raised in Gokul by Nanda and his wife Yashoda.

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Alternative terms for Sri Krishna Jayanti:

Krishnaasthami, Janmasthami, Saatam Aatam, Asthami Rohini, Gokulasthami, Sree Jayanti, and Nandotsav, among others…

Important Timings On Krishna Janmashtami 2023

Rituals for Sri Krishna Jayanti

This holy day is observed in various regions of India in accordance with native customs and traditions.

On Sri Krishna Jayanti, people across the country observe a fast until midnight, when Lord Krishna was born. As a symbol of His birth, the idol of the deity is placed in a miniature cradle and prayers are offered. On this day, Bhajans and Bhagvad Gita recitations are performed.

Dahi Handi is organised locally and regionally in Maharashtra. A human pyramid is constructed to shatter an earthenware pot containing buttermilk. There is intense competition, and prizes worth tens of thousands of dollars have been announced for these events.

On this day, many devotees in Uttar Pradesh visit Krishna temples in the sacred cities of Mathura and Vrindavan.

This day is commemorated with pomp and circumstance in Gujarat at the Dwarkadhish temple in the city of Dwarka, which was Lord Krishna’s kingdom when he became king.

On this day, kite soaring is organised in Jammu.

This day, known as Krishna Janma, is commemorated in Manipur at the ISCKON Temple in the state capital of Imphal.

In Eastern India, Janmasthami and the following day’s Nanda Utsav are celebrated by observing all-day fasts and offering various types of delicacies to the Lord at midnight, commemorating his birth. There are significant pujas in Puri, Odhisa, and Nabadwip, West Bengal.

In southern India, women decorate their homes with flour footprints depicting the life of Krishna as an infant who stole butter.

Krishna Janmashtami festival dates between 2023 & 2030