Chitika

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Krishna Janmashtami



Krishna Janmashtami
 Janmashtami, also known as Gokulashtami marks the celebration of birth of lord Sri Krishna. Sri Krishna was born in the 'Rohini' nakshatram (Star) to King Vasudeva and Devaki Devi on the eighth day of the dark fortnight in the month of Sravana. This festival is also known as Sri Krishna Jayanti and Krishnashtmi. The real celebration can be on two different days as the star 'Rohini' and Ashtami may not be on the same day. This day corresponds to the months of August and September in the Gregorian calendar.

Janmashtami Celebration in North India
In Uttar Pradesh where the Lord was born in Mathura, his playground gokul and Vrindavan become more crowded and celebrations go up to a week. In Gujarat, where the city of Dwarka has Dwarkadhish temples celebrate it with pomp and joy.
In the eastern state of Orissa, West Bengal and around Puri in Nabadwip, people celebrate it by fasting and doing puja at noon. Pravachana from Purana Bhagavata Purana are made from the 10th skandha engaged in appropriate times of Lord Krishna. The next day called Nanda Utsav or happy celebration of Nanda Maharaj and Yashoda Maharaani. On that day people break their fast and offer a variety of baked goodies during the early hours.

Janmashtami Celebration in Maharashtra

Janmaashtami, popularly known in Mumbai and Pune as Dahi Handi is celebrated with enormous zeal and enthusiasm. The Handi is a clay pot filled with buttermilk that was placed at a convenient height before the event. The top person in the human pyramid trying to break the Handi by hitting it with a blunt object most nariyal (coconut) are preferred to be a sign of purity, truth and other good terms in Hindu religion. When that happens buttermilk has spilled across the group, which symbolizes their performance through the device. Various handis is set up locally in several parts of the city, and groups of young people, called Govinda, travel around in trucks trying to break as many handis as possible during the day.
Govinda Pathak Many of these compete with each other, especially for those handing out large rewards handis. The event, in recent times, has gathered a political flavor, and it is common for political parties and community groups for the rich prizes amounting to lakhs of rupees to offer. Some of the most famous handis is at Dadar, lower Parel, Worli, Mazgaon, Lalbaug, Thane and Babu genu, Mandai in Pune. Cash and gifts are offered for Govinda troops to participate; for over 4,000 handis in Mumbai, 2000 Govinda troops compete for the prizes.


Janmashtami Celebration in Manipur
Janmaashtami, popularly known in Manipur as Krishna janma, is an important festival celebrated in two temples in Imphal, the capital of Manipur. The first festival is in Govindaji temple and the other is the International Society for Krishna Consciousness temple. Followers of Lord Krishna is collected mostly in the ISKCON Temple.


Importance of Janmashtami
The verse in the Bhagavad-Gita (a sacred book told of Lord Vishnu) says that when there will be a preponderance of evil, and the decline of religion, I reincarnated to kill the evil and save the good. The main significance of Janmashtami is to foster goodwill and to counteract the bad Will. Krishna Jayanti celebrates the togetherness. The sacred occasion brings people together, why it means unity and faith.

Significance of Janmashtami
5000 years ago on Janamashtmi, The Lord appeared at midnight. This is indeed a historical fact, but it also has a deeper significance. Midnight is the time of maximum darkness and from the moment the Lord appeared the darkness started diminishing. Similarly our heart is dark being afflicted by multiple anxieties and miseries. But in the darkest hour of our life, when we turn to the Lord and He appears in our heart, all the darkness recedes and the light of eternal hope starts streaming in.
The Lord appeared in a prison cell amidst shackles and then freed His parents . This indicates that all of us  who are shackled by our own material desires can be freed by the Lord who appears in our heart which is like a prison house.
So the real Janmashtami will take place when the Lord appears in our hearts. Though we do not know it, all of us are actually pining for this Janmashtami to occur. All of us want love, care, protection and happiness and this is what the actual Janmashtami - the appearance of the Lord in our heart -  brings.

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