Janmashtami 2022: Significance, customs, and history of the festival

Krishna Janmashtami, Gokulashtami, Krishnasthami or Srijayanti marks the birth of Krishna. He is considered the eighth avatar of Vishnu. The cities of Mathura and Vrindavan host the largest celebration of the festival because it is believed that Krishna spent his life growing up in what is now considered those cities.

In the month of Bhadrapada (July-August), the eighth day of the dark fortnight marks Krishna Janmashtami in India. There was a lot of confusion this year about whether Krishna Janmashtami will be celebrated on Thursday 18th August or on Friday, 19th August, 2022. But according to the Vedic Panchang, Ashtami Tithi is all set to begin from 9:21 pm on 18th August and will end at 10:59 pm on 19th August, 2022 and so it will be celebrated on both days. The Nishith Puja time will begin from 12:02 am on 18th August and ends at 12:48 pm on the same day.

Celebration


The celebrations for the festival vary from place to place and here are some ways in which some people celebrate the day. Devotees mark the auspicious occasion by fasting and praying to Krishna. They also adorn their homes with flowers, diyas and lights. The temples are also beautifully decorated and well lit.

The temples in Mathura and Vrindavan also witness the most extravagant and colorful celebrations. Mathura and Vrindavan are key cities as it is believed that Krishna was born and spent his years growing up in there. Devotees gather together and perform the Raslila, to recreate the incidents from Krishna's life and is meant to commemorate his love for Radha.

Another thing that devotees do is keep an idol of the infant Krishna bathed and placed in a cradle, overnight because Krishna was born at midnight.

Maharashtra also sees joyous celebrations of the festival as many people enact Krishna's childhood. The celebration is called Dahi Handi and attempts to recreate Krishna's childhood acts of stealing butter from earthen pots tied at a height. In the celebration, a matka or pot is suspended high above the ground and people form a human pyramid to reach it and they have to eventually break it.


History of the festival

The legend surrounding the festival is that Lord Krishna was born in Mathura on Ashtami night during the months of August-September. He was born inside the Mathura prison because King Kansa, his uncle, had imprisoned his parents, Devaki and Vasudev. He did this after a priest predicted that the couple's eighth son would cause his death. But Vasudev managed to escape the prison when Krishna was born. He made his way to Vrindavan and handed over his child to Yashoda and Nanda. Krishna then grew up in Vrindavan.