| Krishna Janmashtami |
| August 24, 2008
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This Hindu festival, which falls during the dark fortnight in the month of Bhadra, is celebrated to commemorate the birth of Krishna to annihilate Kansa. It is marked by fasts, prayers and the enactment of incident from Krishna’s childhood.
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This festival is very popular in North India. People observe a day-long fast which is broken only at midnight, the time when Krishna is believed to have been born. The festival is a community celebration, and people visit Krishna temples which are specially decorated and lit for the occasion.
The image of Krishna is ceremonially bathed in a mixture of curds, milk, honey, dry fruit and basil or tulasi leaves. This mixture is then distributed as prasad to all devotees. The idol is dressed in new clothes and offered food, sweets, fruit and calorified butter. Priests chant mantras from religious scriptures. The temple too reverberates with devotional songs in praise of the God.
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A little before midnight, devotees pour into temples to participate in the aarti and to relive the birth of Kirshna. Till midnight, devotional songs are sung in anticipation of the holy birth. Special cradles are installed at temples and a small statue of God is placed in them. At exactly midnight, temple bells are rung to announce the birth of Krishna. Everyone clamours to rock the cradle of the newborn. Then a special aarti is performed after which devotees partake the special prasad.
The Dharamshastras specify the day to be celebrated as a vrata. The Bhavishya Purana cautions against the non-observance of this vrata saying, “Whether a man or woman, if one neglects to observe the birthday vrata of Lord Krishna, the defaulter shall be re-born as a female serpent in a deep forest.”
Interesting games commemorate this festival. One of the most popular is the breaking of dahi handi. A terracotta pot containing, milk, butter and curd is hung high up across a street. Groups of men form a pyramid to tray and break this pot. The group that succeeds in breaking the pot is named the winner. This game is specially dear to Krishna and his friends. Another form of public recreation is the Raslila.
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