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Lord Krishna |
Krishna Janmasthmi
Krishna Janmasthmi the birth day of Lord Krishna this year is
being celebrated on 13th and 14th August 2009. Sri Krishna Janmashtami is known by various names such as Krishnashtami,
Gokulashtami, Saatam Aatham, Ashtami Rohini, Sri Krishna Jayanti and Sree
Jayanthi. Traditional belief based on scriptural details and astrological calculations gives the date of Krishna's birth, known as
Janmashtami, as either 18th or 21st July 3228 BCE. In
Hindu astrology it appeared on the eighth waning moon night of bhadon (August) in Rohini Nakchatra (asterism) in 3228 BC.
Janmashtami is celebrated all over India and across many other countries to mark
the birth of Lord Krishna, the eight avatar (incarnation) of Lord Vishnu.
The Divine dignity of Bhagwan Ram and Krishna and their loving leelas are the soul
of Sanatan Dharm. In Hinduism Vaishnava groups recognize him as an avatar of
Vishnu, while others consider him to be svayam bhagavan, or the original form of the Lord. |
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Lord Krishna's Birth
Krishna belonged to the royal family of Mathura, and was the eighth son born to
the princess Devaki, and her husband Vasudeva. Mathura was the capital of the
Yadavas, to which Krishna's parents Vasudeva and Devaki belonged to. The king Kamsa, Devaki's
cousin , had ascended the throne by imprisoning his father, King Ugrasena. Afraid of a prophecy that
predicted his death at the hands of Devaki's eighth son, he had locked the
couple into a prison cell. After killing the first six children, and Devaki's
apparent miscarriage of the seventh, being transfered to Rohini as Balarama, Krishna took birth.
Since Vasudeva believed Krishna's life was in danger, Krishna was secretly taken
out of the prison cell to be raised by his foster parents, Yasoda and Nanda in
Gokula. Two of his other siblings also survived, Balarama
and Subhadra. When Krishna appeared, a tiny touch of His Divine power
shattered the defense system of the jail: locks broke, watchmen went into deep
sleep, gates opened and all the restrictions were eliminated.
The flooding Yamuna river gave way to Vasudeo so that he could safely transport
baby Krishna to his relative Nand Baba’s house which was in Gokul and on the
other side of river Yamuna. Thus, Krishna first descended in Mathura and on the
same night He came to Gokul. The next day, at the house of Nand Baba and Yashoda all the Brajwasis came
together to join the most joyous celebration of Krishna’s birthday. |
Krishna is carried by his father Vasudeva across river Yamuna to
Vrindavana, mid 18th century painting. |
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Rasa Lila
To commemorate the birth anniversary of the Lord, Rasa Lila or the dramatic performances of the life of Krishna are performed by devotees.Colourful Rasleelas
(plays) are a major attraction which depict various phases and acts of Lord Krishna's life.
The whole of Braj is the leela place of Krishna but
more memorable places are Barsana, Vrindaban and Govardhan. Barsana is
the place where the sovereign of Gopis’ hearts, and the soul of Krishna, Radha, always lived
there. Vrindaban is famous because maharas leela happened over there, and
Govardhan is the place where Krishna did most of His playful leelas with His
Gwalbal while grazing the cows. The leelas of Krishna are categorized as: (1) Braj leela, (2) nikunj
leela, and (3) Dwarika leela. They revealed such loving leelas that fascinated even God
Shiv and Goddess Parvati and Maha Lakchmi. Rasa Lila took place on a beautiful night, when the ‘Gopis’ (milkmaids) of Vrindavan stealthily left their houses to go to the jungle on hearing the sweet sound of Lord Krishna’s flute. Lord Krishna then danced with gopis throughout the night.
The eternal love legend of Radha Krishna
Rasa Lila is based on the legendary love story of Radha Krishna. The loving interplay between God and the human soul is interpreted through
Lord Krishna and his love play with the Gopis. The blissful love of Radha for Krishna can be seen as the soul’s wish to be one with the Almighty.
Though Radha never married Krishna, her love for him was so complete and pure that even today we worship Krishna alongwith Radha. This love story has been called ‘Rasa’ by the great Rishi Vyasa. |
The blissful love of Radha for Krishna can be seen as the soul’s wish to be one with the
Almighty
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Dahi Handi
The colourful event on Krishna Janmasthmi is the Dahi Handi ceremony which is mainly witnessed in
Maharashtra. As part of the ceremony, participants form a human pyramid to break
the mataki (dahi handi) suspended from the top with a rope.
Famous Krishna Temples in India
Some of the famous Krishna Temples in India where Krishna Janmashtami is celebrated with much importance include Krishna Janma Bhoomi Mandir in
Mathura, Banke Bihari Mandir in Vrindavan, Srinath Temple in Rajasthan, Dwarkadhish Temple in Gujarat, Krishna Temple in Hampi, Guruvayur Temple in
Kerala, Ambalapuzha Sree Krishna Temple in Alappuzha, Udupi Sri Krishna Temple in Karnataka, and ISKCON Temple in
Tirupati. Thousands of devotees visit the temples on Krishna Janmashtami day to get a glimpse of their favorite God in full decoration. Special feasts will be
arranged by temple authorities on Krishnashtami day for devotees.
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