Janmashtami – The Birth of Lord Krishna is a festival which is celebrated all around India with absolute cheer and devotion. This great festival is also known by the names like Gokul Ashtami and Krishna Ashtami in different parts of India. Hindus celebrate this joyous festival in the month of Shravana. Krishna was considered to be the mischievous child but was most adored as well.
Let’s Enjoy Some Popular Stories of Little Kanha
There are numerous childhood stories related to Lord Krishna such as:
- When Kanha was a toddler, he was roaming around with his elder brother Balram. He picked up the mud from the ground as he could not reach the tall trees like his brother. Krishna ate the mud, when his mother Yashoda came to know about this she asked Kanha to open his mouth. First, he resisted but when he opened his mouth Yashoda was startled by seeing the entire universe in his mouth. It was the first time when Yashoda realized that his Kanha is not an ordinary child.
- One of the best stories related to Krishna’s childhood was his love for butter known as ‘maakhan’. Kanha used to break the “matki” of gopis and steal the maakhan out of it. All the gopis were tired of this habit of Krishna, so they complain to Yashoda about his mischiefs as a result Yashoda tied him up with a tree in punishment.
- People of Vrindavan tend to worship Lord Indra for good rains. Later Krishna advised them to worship the Govardhan hill as well. This made Lord Indra very furious and he initiated a giant storm to village Vrindavan in anger. In order to save the poor people of his village, Krishna lifted up the entire Govardhan hill on his little finger. Noticing this deed Lord Indra apologized for his anger.
Significance of this Special Festival
This festival holds a devotional significance among all the devotees of Lord Krishna around the nation. It is quite an important festival for all Hindus as there are several special memories. The birth of Krishna ended the brutality of several evils including his own uncle ‘Kansa’ who was an utterly mean person. Krishna also saved the people from his domination. This festival is mainly about the victory of good over evil.
How People Make the Most of this Day – Celebrations and Rituals
Followers and devotees of Lord Krishna tend to come from far and wide in order to visit the divine temples of Mathura and Vrindavan. The cultural programs and events are organized on the occasion of Krishna Janmashtami. In other places of India, there is utmost cheer and festivity can also be observed. People attend events with family and friends which shows the Jhankis related to the happenings of Lord Krishna’s life. People tend to fast in order to pay respect and devotion to Krishna. The event of Dahi Handi is celebrated in many parts of India and especially in Mumbai. Dahi Handi can be observed as a famous event during the celebration of Janmashtami. The temples can be seen all decorated and lightened with the theme of Krishna. Little kids enact like Kanha in their schools wearing the traditional Krishna costume with flute in hand.
Things to Learn from this Festival
The festival of Janmashtami brings much delight and a feeling of love among all the people. This day is marked as the adoration to Lord Krishna and his playful activities. We must follow his teachings to fight against evil and love towards family and friends. This day should be remembered to seek the inner child within each one of us. We must not let happiness and cheerfulness fade ever.