After celebrating Friendship Day and Raksha Bandhan, now it’s time to get spiritual and celebrate Janmashtami. Janmashtami is the birth festival of Lord Krishna that is celebrated all over India with great pomp and show.

When Janmashtami is celebrated?

Janmashtami is celebrated on the eighth day of Krishna Paksha in the Hindu month of Bhadon. It is considered that on this day, Lord Vishnu took birth as Lord Krishna to fight against evils. Lord Krishna is acknowledged as the eighth birth of Lord Vishnu. This year, Janmashtami will be celebrated on 12th August 2020.

Why Janmashtami is celebrated?

Lord Krishna was born around 5,200 years ago in Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh. It is believed that Lord Krishna was born in a prison at midnight to his mother and father. His Mother Devaki and father Vasudeva were locked by his maternal uncle Kansa.

The parents of Lord Krishna were imprisoned on the day of Devaki’s marriage by King Kansa (Devaki’s brother), as it was predicted that Devaki’s eighth son would kill him. King Kansa killed all the seven sons until Krishna was born.

When Lord Krishna was born at midnight, a spiritual power guided Vasudeva to carry the baby to Vrindavan and protect him. Then he landed the Krishna to his friend’s Nand and Yashoda.  Lord Krishna was born during the midnight that’s why Janmashtami is celebrated at midnight. 

How Janmashtami is celebrated? 

Janmashtami is celebrated by fasting the whole day, and at midnight after the birth of Lord, fast is broken. On Janmashtami, all Krishna temples are decorated with flowers, lights, balloons, Jhulla in which Lord Krishna is placed, and several tableaus depicting the life of Krishna are there to celebrate the day. Bhajans and kirtans of Lord Krishna are done the whole day. The puja ritual takes place at midnight, and flowers, fruits, sweets as Prashad is distributed to people.

Major attraction of Janamashtami

Dahi handi is the major attraction of Janmashtami, which is celebrated on the second day of the festival. It is popular in Maharashtra and other western states of India. On this day, a pot of yogurt is hanged at height and then broken by teams. It signifies that when Lord Krishna was a kid, he was an ardent lover of butter and dahi, and he used to eat by stealing these from people’s homes. People used to hang their butter in pots at a height so he could not reach.

Janamashtami under Temple lockdown

Due to the ongoing pandemic, there will be no celebration of Janmashtami this year all over India. The Krishna’s followers are in a dilemma on how to celebrate Janmashtami in this lockdown period?

The answer is simple, you can celebrate Janmashtami at your home with your friends and family like it’s your family member birthday with the following innovative ideas –

Decorate a Jhulla – Jhulla is the most attractive thing of Janmashtami. You can decorate the Jhulla of Krishna at home. You can decorate it with flowers, balloons, lights, etc. It will increase your excitement to celebrate the festival, and you will not miss out on the feeling of the temple. 

2. Bake a cake – You can bake a cake at home for Krishna’s birthday celebration. Cut it at midnight at the time of Lord Krishna’s birth. This will keep you engaged for the day and keep you excited about the cake cutting at night.   

3.  Dress-up Lord Krishna with the handmade dress – You can dress-up your Krishna by making a dress for him at home. Spend your time in making matching accessories like bansuri, mukut, jewelry at home, and do shringar with kajal and other makeup things. 

4.  Do Kirtan and bhajans – Till midnight, wake up for his birthday celebration, and do kirtan and bhajans at your home with your family and friends. It will bring positive vibes and is the best way to celebrate Janmashtami. 

5.  Dahi Handi at home – It doesn’t matter if you can’t make it out for a Dahihandi. You can celebrate it at your home. Take a pot and put some yogurt in it and hang it at the height with the help of a rope. Divide the family into two teams and enjoy Dahi handi at your home. 

Hopefully, all these ideas will help you to celebrate Janmashtami festival at your home with happiness and excitement. 

May lord Krishna bless all!