Celebrations

Celebrations

Hindus celebrate Janmashtami by fasting and staying up until midnight, the time when Krishna is believed to have been born. Images of Krishna's infancy are placed in swings and cradles in temples and homes. At midnight, devotees gather around for devotional songs, dance and exchange gifts. Some temples also conduct reading of the Hindu religious scripture Bhagavad Gita.

Maharashtra :-

Janmaashtami / Gokulashtami , 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 is positioned at a convenient height prior to the event.

 The topmost person on the human pyramid tries to break thehandi by hitting it with a blunt object. When the handi breaks, the buttermilk is spilled over the entire group, symbolizing their achievement through unity. Handis are set up around the city, and groups of youngsters –called GovindaPathaks – travel around in trucks trying to break as many handis as possible during the day.

Many – such Govinda Pathaks – compete with each other, especially for the handis that dole out hefty rewards. The event, in recent times, has gathered a political flavor, and it is common for political parties and rich community groups to offer prizes amounting to lakhs of rupees.

Some of the most famous handis are at Dadar, Lower Parel, Worli, Mazgaon, Lalbaug, Thane and Babu Genu, Mandai in Pune.

Manipur :-

Janmaashtami – popularly known in Manipur as Krishna Janma – is a significant festival celebrated at two temples in Imphal, the capital city of Manipur. The first festival is at the Govindaji temple, and the second is at the International Society for Krishna Consciousnesstemple. Devotees of Lord Krishna gather mostly at the ISKCON temple.

Northern and Eastern India :- 

Places in Uttar Pradesh that are associated with Krishna's childhood, such as Mathura,Gokul and Vrindavan, attract visitors from all over India, who go there to participate in the festival celebrations. 

People in the city of Dwarka in Gujarat – where Krishna is believed to have established his Kingdom – celebrate the festival by visiting the Dwarkadhish temple. In Jammu, kite flying is an important part of the celebration on his day.

In the eastern state of Odisha, in the region around Puri and in Nabadwip, West Bengali people celebrate Janmashtami by fasting and worship until midnight. Purana Pravachana from the Bhagavata Purana are recited from the 10th Skandha. This section deals with pastimes of Lord Krishna.

 The next day is called Nanda Utsav or the joyous celebration of Krishna's foster parents Nanda andYashoda. On this day, people break their fast and offer various cooked sweets during the early hours.

South India :- 

In Southern India, floors in houses are decorated with footprints made from flour, to symbolize Krishna's childhood sport of stealing butter from houses.