How to Participate In Krishna Janmashtami Puja With Gem Selections

A national celebration

The festival is a major celebration across the country. However, it is celebrated on a mass scale in Mathura and Vrindavan (Brindaban), where Krishna spent his childhood and early adolescence. Devotees conduct a vigil and fast until midnight, the traditional hour of his birth, the day before. The picture of Krishna is then bathed in milk and water and dressed in new clothing before being worshipped. Sweetmeats are first offered to the god and then distributed as prasad (the god's leftovers, which carry his favor) to all members of the household; temples and household shrines are decorated with leaves and flowers; sweetmeats are first offered to the god and then distributed as prasad (the god's leftovers, which carry his favor) to all members of the household.

Rituals of celebrating Janmashtami

Krishna devotees commemorate the events of his birth by creating elaborate representations of Mathura, where he was born, the Yamuna River, over which he was transported to safety, and Gokul (ancient Vraja), where he spent his childhood, using small images of the god, the other participants, and the forest animals and birds. Men create human pyramids to reach and break milk jars suspended from tall poles in the streets, in imitation of Krishna's childhood play with the cowherd boys, when they stole the curds hung out of reach by their mothers. It's also a time for collective singing and dancing at the event.

From temples to homes, the story of Krishna's birth is repeated and remembered. Lord Krishna's great strength is symbolized in this story. Devotional songs devoted to Lord Krishna are sung. Cities across India enter a trance-like state. People visit temples late at night, joining their hands and bowing their heads in front of Krishna's idol.

As a sign of his birth, a little cradle is placed with a miniature Krishna statue inside. Devotees joyfully swing the cradle and recite aarti (prayer) and bhajans to commemorate Shri Krishna's arrival. Devotees fast for the entire day, breaking their fast at midnight or the following day. A waterless fast is the most common type of fast. The fragrance of flowers, the relaxing aroma of burning camphor, and the tinkling of the temple bells instill a sense of divinity in the air. Get your Janmashtami puja done by Gem Selections.