Krishna Janmashtami: A festival that honours Lord Krishna, the eighth avatar of Almighty Vishnu
Krishna Janmashtami, an annual Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna, will be observed this year on 16th August (Saturday). Also known as Krishnashtami and Janmashtami, the festival honours the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu.
According to the Amanta tradition (a method of reckoning the lunar month, where the month concludes with the new moon), the birth of Lord Krishna is celebrated and observed on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the dark fortnight (Krishna Paksha) in Shravana Masa. Interestingly, according to the Purnimanta tradition, the birth of the Almighty is celebrated on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the dark fortnight (Krishna Paksha) in the month of Bhadrapada.
In the Gregorian calendar, this overlaps with August or September.
Lord Vishnu – the preserver of the universe
In Hinduism, Lord Vishnu is considered to be the preserver of the cosmos! The concept is based on the Trimurti — the triple deity of supreme divinity, in which the cosmic functions of creation, preservation, and destruction are personified as a triad of Gods. As per mythology, Lord Brahma is the creator, Lord Vishnu the preserver, and Lord Shiva the destroyer.
Krishna Janmashtami – A pan-India festival
The birth of Lord Krishna is celebrated across India. However, in northern India, Janmashtami is the largest festival in the Braj region, in cities such as Mathura. According to mythological tales, Lord Krishna was born in Mathura, and in Vrindavan, he grew up.
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Temples of Lord Krishna are decorated and lit up pan-India. They attract numerous visitors on the day, while Krishna devotees hold bhakti events and keep a night vigil.
Janmashtami, an important festival in Vaishnavism
Krishna Janmashtami is an important festival in Vaishnavism, one of the major Hindu traditions, that considers Lord Vishnu as the sole supreme being, leading all other Hindu deities.
The other three traditions are — Shaivism (which worships Shiva as the supreme being), Shaktism (a goddess-centric tradition in Hinduism), and Smartism (which considers the Puranas genre of literature).
How is Krishna Janmashtami observed?
Observances include dance-drama, puja, night vigil, and fasting. Many people dress their kids like Lord Krishna.
Krishna Janmashtami 2026
In 2026, the Krishna Janmashtami festival will be celebrated on 4th September (Friday). Krishna Janmashtami in 2027 is on the 25th of August (Wednesday).
Journalist Anurag Sason wishes you all a very prosperous Krishna Janmashtami.
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