Janmashtmi,
the birth of Lord Krishna is celebrated with great devotion
in the August/September months, on the Ashtami of Krishna
Paksh or the 8th day of the dark fortnight in the month of
Bhadon, in the whole of North India.
As per mythology,
the birth of Lord Krishna is as follows. Kansa, who ruled
Mathura after usurping it from his father Ugrasena, was a
wicked king. None could stop his atrocities and save
themselves from his torcherous deeds. One day, after the
marriage of Devaki (his sister) and Vasudeva, Kansa was
charioteering, when suddenly a voice from the sky warned
him that the eighth child of Devaki would one day destroy
him and put an end to all his sinful deeds. Perturbed and
furious, Kansa ordered the imprisonment of his sister and
brother-in-law at Vajra, a village eight miles across river
Yamuna near Mathura.
When the first
child was born to Devaki, Kansa killed it immediately. Thus,
everytime an infant was born it met with the same fate.
However, before the birth of the eighth child, a voice from
heaven instructed Vasudeva to exchange the child-to-be-born
with his friend Nand's yet-to-be-born baby. On the fateful
midnight when Devaki delivered her eighth child, there
occurred a tempest with dark thundering clouds drowning the
cries of the little-born. It was a divine ordain. Vasudeva
put the baby boy in a cushion of leaves within a basket and
carried him on his head. Braving the storm, he waded across
the gushing waters of the Yamuna. Miraculously, the snake
Adisesha appeared around the basket and with its hood
protected the infant from hail and storm.
Vasudeva reached
Gokulam, where Yasodha had just given birth to a baby girl.
His friend Nand, the ruler of Gokulam, took Vasudeva's boy
and gave his own infant, promising to keep it a secret. With
Nand's child in the basket, Vasudeva returned to the prison
and suddenly the rage of the hurricane calmed down.
At the crack of
dawn, the cries of the new-born filled the air and brought
Kansa straight to the prison. There, he saw the eighth child
- his destroyer, with Devaki and Vasudeva and his blood
curdled. He lifted the baby and threw her against the ceiling.
Lo and behold, the infant, who was actually "Shakti" or
"Durga", flew out of sight and a thunderous voice once again
reverberated in the sky. It scorned at Kansa's foolish
killings and warned him that his destroyer was alive and
will one day put him to death. The thought of an insecure
life sent chills down his spine.
Meanwhile, at
Gokulam (the place where cowherds and cowboys inhabited),
news spread about the birth of a baby boy to Yasodha. The
gopis or cowherds rushed to take a glimpse of the dusky new
born child. There was revelling all around to mark the birth
of the little one who was named Krishna - the attractive one.
Since His early
days itself, Krishna showed qualities of His supernatural
being. He was frivolous and notorius for stealing His favorite
"venna"/"maakhan" or butter. He was the apple of everyone's
eyes. Every woman called Him her own child and held Him dear
to their heart.
Thus, Janmashtami
marks the celebrations of Krishna's birth, the incarnation of
Vishnu, one of the Hindu Triumvarate, who came onto earth to
cleanse the sins of the human beings. The modern day festivity
recreates the birth of the Lord. It is celebrated with utmost
gaiety and fervor in Mathura and Brindavan. The towns are
colorfully decorated wearing a festive look. The main temple
at Mathura and Brindavan are bedecked with flowers and Lord
Krishna is clothed in jewellery. The rituals begin ahead of
time in the evening and culminate at midnight, the time of
Krishna's birth. A crawling image of Krishna is cradled amidst
singing of bhajans and chantings of Hare Rama Hare Krishna.
The entire proceedings of the celebration is broadcast live by
Doordarshan (Indian Television) and All India Radio.
In South India,
Janmashtami or Gokulashtami, as it is called, is celebrated
with prayers, devotional renditions and offering of fruits
and special prasadams to Lord Krishna. People usually observe
fast on this day. In the houses, mango leaves are tied to the
doorways to mark the auspicious occasion. Colorful floral
designs are drawn on the front yard. Inside the house, a
small wooden mandapam is erected and decorated with flowers
and plantain leaves. An icon of a crawling Krishna in a silver
cradle or leaf is placed in the mandapam. In some houses, a
typical setting of Gokulam is arranged with mud images of
Devaki, Vasudeva with little Krishna perched in a basketon
his head, a cow, besides other things related to Krishna's
legends. Small foot marks produced by impressions with rice
powder mixed with water are believed to symbolically recreate
the coming of Krishna into peoples' homes. Janmashtami is
thus yet another celebration of God's omnipresence.
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