Krishna Janmashtami 2020: Date, time, Puja Vidhi, History, Significance of Lord Krishna’s birthday
Janmashtami, also known as Krishna Janmashtami is a religious festival commemorating the birth of Lord Krishna. One of the most important festivals of the Hindu religion, Janmashtami falls on August 11 this year. According to the Hindu lunar calendar, Krishna was born on ‘Ashtami’ or the ‘eighth day’ at midnight in the holy month of Shravana. The festival is celebrated popularly in Mathura (said to be the birthplace of Lord Krishna), in parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan, and in the northeastern states like Assam and Manipur.
Krishna Janmashtami 2020: History and Significance
According to mythological beliefs, Krishna lived over 5000 years ago. It is believed that Krishna is the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Lord Krishna was the son of Devaki and her husband, King Vasudeva who lived in Mathura. But Mathura was under the rule of his mother's brother, Kansa.
Lord Krishna never lived with his real parents in his childhood. The reason behind this, is that his uncle Kansa wanted to kill him right after his birth as he believed that Krishna would cause the fall of Kansa. That's when his father took him to a place called Gokul where he was raised by his foster parents Nanda and Yashoda.
Krishna grew up as a charming cow herder in Gokul. The earliest descriptions of Lord Krishna can be found in the epic of Mahabharata.
Talking of the significance of Janmashtami, the festival is celebrated to promote goodwill within every human being. This belief finds its roots in Bhagavad Gita where Vishnu is believed to have said that he will show up whenever there will be a prevalence of evil and decline of religion. Also just like any other Hindu festival, Janmashtami also signifies togetherness when families and friends come together for celebration.
Krishna Janmashtami 2020: Celebration
On the festival of Janmashtami, the Krishna Abhishek (bathing Krishna’s idol) is performed, where milk, ghee and water are offered to Krishna. The stories of Lord Krishna’s birth and how he battled his enemies are shared among his devotees. Hindu followers visit temples to offer prayers to him. His devotees also observe fast for the entire day.
The day after Janmashtami is celebrated as the dahi handi festival in Maharashtra.
Krishna Janmashtami 2020: Date(Puja Tithi) and Time
According to Acharya Indu Prakash, Vaishnava temple or temple associated with Krishna will celebrate Janmashtami on August 12, but the householders should not be confused with it. They should observe Janmashtami fast on Tuesday and end it on Wednesday.
Ashtami Tithi starts: 9 am 7 am on 11 August
Ashtami date ends: 12 August morning 11 o'clock 17 minutes
Rohini Nakshatra starts - 13 August morning 3 o'clock 27 minutes
Rohini Nakshatra ends: 14 August 5 to 22 minutes
Happy Krishna Janmashtami to all our readers!
