Detailed Information about Janmashtami Festival & Its Importance

India is known to be a land of a rich civilisation and a land of many great sages and philosophers. Lord Krishna was probably one of the greatest philosophers that India may have seen in the past. His sermons are encrypted in the holy book of the Hindus and the national book of the Indians, the Bhagwat Gita. In this is encrypted the basic teachings of lord Krishna that was given to Arjuna who refused to take up arms against his own kin and he was given the wisdom of the karma marg or which has been written down in Sanskrit language. Janmashtami is celebrated every year marking the birth date of lord Krishna which falls on the eighth day of the dark fortnight which is celebrated in the month of Aug-Sep, usually known as ashtami.

It is a major celebration of the northern India where the people play holi and in many places the people celebrate it in a unique way from place to place. At places the people play ras leela depicting the love affairs of the greatest lover of the era, lord Krishna. To make the event more enjoyable the "Dahi Handis" are organised at various places where the youths of the various colonies make teams to make a pyramid of men to break the pot bearing the curd that is hung at a height to claim the prize. The pot is broken with a coconut, as it symbolises purity in Hindu community. As the pot breaks the curd is spilled over the pyramid of boys that is a symbol of their achievement. It is very much popular event in the state of Maharashtra. The life of lord Krishna is full of messages at every point of his life. He is believed to be the eight reincarnation of lord Vishnu.

Lord Krishna was born in the inside the jail, as the son of Devki, his mother and father Vasudeva. As his life was in danger as per prediction his uncle and Devki's brother Kansa, who was a tyrant was to be killed by the hands of lord Krishna, the eighth son of Devki. so soon after the birth the he was transferred to Nanda and Yashoda where he was brought up as their own son. During his bringing up his life was full of many interesting events. These are known as "bal leela". Finally he kills Kansa and then we see his great role in the Mahabharata where he acts as a charioteer of the famous archer Arjuna and inspires him through his sermons that helped him to finally win the ballet of the Mahabharata. He is referred to as by many names as Makhanchor during his childhood, Nandalal as a son of Nanda, Kanha, Shyam; Due to his complexion etc.

In the Bhagwat Gita is mentioned the purpose of his reincarnation. It says whenever there will be decline of the good and the evil will start dominating I (Lord Krishna) shall reincarnate to establish the good and to end the evil.

During the Janmashtami the people fast the whole day without water too and keep themselves busy in the chants of the lord. The arati is performed right at the midnight to mark his birth by singing "Nand gher anand bhayo, Jai Kanaiyalal ki .. Hathi, ghoda, palkhi, jai Kanaiyalal ki...".