God-child; prankster; quintessential
lover; divine hero; and the Supreme Being – all rolled into one – Lord Krishna
- whose birthday is celebrated on ‘Janmashtami’ - which is also known as ‘Gokulashtami’. His flute, blue-ish skin; peacock-feather crown and yellow coloured dhoti makes Lord Krishna stand apart from all other Hindu Gods.
Spanning two days – the commemoration
of Lord Krishna’s birth comprises fasting on the first day; partaking in his
worship at Temples till midnight when Lord Krishna is said to have been born;
lots of fun and frolic at the Janmashtami festivities during the second day
when the Hindu communities all over the world perform dances depicting the
various events in Lord Krishna's life and the much awaited ‘Dahi Handi’
festivities.
The High-point of the
Janmashtami is the ‘Dahi Handi’ – where clay pot filled with ‘dahi’ (curd) and
money are strung up 30-60 feet high in the air in an open-air street or grounds
and young boys form human pyramids to reach the height of the pots to smash
them open. This sport is performed in remembrance of Lord Krishna’s fondness
for butter and curd. Forming human pyramids is not as easy as it appears as these
pyramids have 3-6 layers and they require sturdiness and strength from each and
every player else the whole pyramid comes crashing down and they would have to
regroup again. Most times it takes multiple attempts before they get it right.
The dual-essence of
Janmashtami can be best experience at:
·
Mathura – the birthplace of Lord Krishna
which is in the present Uttar Pradesh State – on the Delhi-Agra Highway. Mathura
is also referred to as ‘Braj-Bhoomi’; ‘Shri Krishna Janma-Bhoomi’ and ‘Madhuvan’.
Mathura is where the ‘Kesava Deo Temple’ is – which was built over the prison which
was believed to be the birthplace of Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna is said to have been born by divine mental transmission from Vasudeva to Devaki. The current ‘Kesava Deo Temple’ was built
by the medieval Rajput King - Raja Vir Sinh Bundela of Orchaa, during the reign
of Mughal Emperor Jahangir. The original temple is believed to be built about
5000 years ago Vajranabha, the great-grandson of Lord Krishna. According to the
sankrit epic of ancient India – Mahabharata, Mathura was the capital of the
Surasena Kingdom which was ruled by King Kansa – the maternal uncle of Lord
Krishna. The entire present area of Braj-Bhoomi can be divided into 2 distinct units: the Eastern Part in the Trans-Yamuna zone with places like Gokul, Mahavan, Baldeo, Mat and Bajna and the Western Side of the Yamuna covering the Mathura region that encompasses Vrindavan, Govardhan, Kusum Sarovar, Barsana and Nandgaon.
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| Govardhan Temple - Braj-Bhoomi. |
·
Vrindavan (also known as Vraj) - currently a
town but is a site of ancient forests – located about 10 kms from Mathura. Lord
Krishna’s playful and loving characteristics and his childhood pastimes are
attributed to his life here at Vrindavan. Said to be the most romanntic of all Hindu Gods, Lord Krishna along with his beloved Radha spent all their time in merriment, song and dance on the celestial banks of River Yamuna along with the other Gopis - all of which is called the 'Raas Leela'. It is also said that at Vrindavan, Lord
Krishna along with his brother Balaram and his cowherd friends stole butter,
pulled pranks and fought with demons. Today, Vrindavan is known for its hundreds
of temples – mostly dedicated to Lord Krishna.
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| Govind Dev Temple in Vrindavan. |
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| Lord Krishna with Radha. |
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| Lord Krishna's Raas Leela. |
·
Govardhan – about 15 kms from Mathura is
another Holy site of Hindu pilgrimage as it is said that Govardhan houses the ‘Govardhan
Hill’ which Lord Krishna used to uphold on his little finger in order to save
the Hill from the wrath of the Hindu God of rains – Indra. Govardhan is home to
numerous Lord Krishna Temples, the ‘Manasi Ganga’ Lake and the river-ghats. Parikrama
and Guru Purnima is what Govardhan is famous for apart from Janmashtami. Hindu
pilgrim visit Govardhan during Janmashtami as well as Guru Purnima.
·
Mumbai (previously called Bombay) – where celebrations
of epic proportions gyrate to a feverish pitch – like nowhere else in the whole
world. Here you get to see the most extravagant and fun-filled festivities of
Krishnashtami.
· ISKCON – ‘the International Society for
Krishna Consciousness’ is a Gaudiya Vaishnava religious organization which was
founded in the New York City in 1966 by His Divine Grace Abhay Charanaravinda
Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada. Beliefs preached here are based on Srimad
Bhagvatam and Bhagavad-Gita – traditional ancient Hindu scriptures. ISKCON
today has more than 400 centres worldwide.
On Janmashtami, temples in Mathura
install baby cradles with small statues of Lord Krishna (called Baal Mukund) in them and offer
prayers, bhajans and recite Lord Krishna deeds. Elaborate rituals are performed
on both days of Janmashtami in Mathura. Krishna devotees throng in millions to
Mathura for pilgrimage on Janmashtami.
And those who cannot make it
to Mathura visit their local Lord Krishna Temples or the ISKCON Temple which is
known for spirited worship.
And Ofcourse, Bombay needs
no introduction. If you want a mix of both spiritualism and fun on Janmashtami,
then it’s Bombay you need to visit this Janmashtami.
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| Kathakali dancer performing as Lord Krishna. |
