Jai Shri Krishna! Janmashtami is the most celebrated festival in the braj area of western u.p. shri Krishna Janmashtami is also known as Krishnashtami, Saatam Aatham, Gokulashtami, Ashtami Rohini, Srikrishna Jayanti, SreeJayanti or sometimes just as Janmashtami. Its purpose is to celebrate the birth of God shri Krishna considered as an eighth avatar of god Vishnu. Krishna Janmashtami is observed on the Ashtami tithi, the eighth day of the dark half or Krishna Paksha of the month of Shraavana in the Hindu calendar, when the Rohini Nakshatra is ascendant. Temples of vrindavan and Mathura are highly decorated on this auspicious occasion. God Shri Krishna preached to mankind the teachings of srimad Bhagvad gita. shri Krishna’s upbringing was done by his foster mother yashoda in gokul ( Mathura). People from all over the world gather here at this time to have a glimpse of God shri Krishna and get his blessings.
Rasa Lila’s are performed in regions of vrindavan and Mathura depicting the youthful life of God shri Krishna. Dahi handi festival is celebrated to represent the god’s playful side. During this festival young men gather to form a human pyramid and break the pot full of butter, ghee, honey etc. which is hung approximately at a height of thirty to forty feet above ground. Dahi handi festival is known as uriadi also and celebrated in Tamil Nadu on gokulashtmi. People do fasting on shri Krishna Janmashtami and generally they don’t even drink water during the whole day and spend the entire day reading the bhagwad gita and singing bhajans of God shri Krishna. Drama and dance competitions are organized to celebrate the God Shri Krishna Janmashtami.
God shri Krishna’s idol is decorated with beautiful clothes and ornaments and the temples of God shri Krishna are decorated with fresh and beautiful flowers as well as with lightings of different colors. Hundreds of dishes are made by devotees to serve as an offering to the God Shri Krishna. The deities are also bathed with a variety of auspicious liquids in a kind of ceremony called abhisheka. Devotees decorate their houses with beautiful flowers and lightings, invite their relatives and friends to their house to sing bhajans and perform dance and drama, decorate the idols of radhe Krishna with beautiful clothes and flowers, chant the mahamantra “hare Krishna hare Krishna Krishna Krishna hare hare hare rama hare rama rama rama hare hare”, read the stories of god shri Krishna and completely immerse themselves in the thoughts of god shri Krishna, collect various auspicious liquids like ghee, yogurt, honey and milk and bath the God shri Krishna’s idol with these while singing bhajans,
God shri Krishna is worshipped in child form popularly known as baal gopal at midnight. Devotees enjoy swinging the idol of God shri Krishna in swings. Bhajans, songs, puja and arti is done till midnight and offerings of makhan, sweets, coconut and panjiri are offered to the God shri Krishna.