Krishna Janmashtami 2018: What Is The Significance of Lord Krishna’s Birth in Hinduism and Why Is It Celebrated?

In Hinduism, Lord Krishna the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu and is considered his most flamboyant and powerful incarnation. Krishna has great significance in Hinduism - he is crucial to the Hindu epic Mahabharata, his dialogue with Arjuna forms the holy Hindu scripture Geeta, and his ideology of Karma is essential to the religion. Krishna is considered to be a god, a warrior, hero, teacher and philosopher by Hindus. His birth itself marks a significant event in the mythology. His birth is celebrated as Krishna Janmashtami or Gokulashtami, every year on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the Krishna Paksha (dark fortnight) in the month of Bhadrapada. And this year, it is observed on September 2. Janmashtami Decorations, Their Significance and Simple DIY Ideas, Watch Video

It is celebrated across the country and is one of the most important Hindu festivals. But do you know the story associated with the birth of Lord Krishna? Here's what you must know about how Krishna was born and why is the festival of Janmashtami so significant. Janmashtami & Dahi Handi 2018 Date: Confusion Over Whether Festival Is on September 2 or 3; Know Exact Tithi As per Hindu Calendar

What Is the Story Behind Krishna’s Birth?

On being unable to take the burden of the sins of evil kings and rulers, Bhumi Devi or Mother Earth prayed to Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe, for help. On her behalf, Brahma appealed to Lord Vishnu, the protector of the world, to save it. Vishnu assured Brahma that he would soon return to Earth to annihilate tyrannical forces.

Lord Krishna was born in Mathura to Devaki and Vasudeva. Devaki’s brother King Kansa was devious. There was a prophecy that Devaki’s eight child will kill him.  On knowing this, Kansa imprisoned Devaki and Vasudeva and killed six of their sons, one after the other. Later, their eighth son Krishna was born, after which Vasudeva and Devaki’s chains were broken in the prison.

Before the birth of Krishna, Lord Vishnu visited them and told them that he will be born as their son. Krishna is therefore regarded as an incarnation of Vishnu, who is the saviour of the world. Vishnu also instructed them to send Krishna away, to Gokul, to safeguard him from Kansa. Therefore, upon the birth of Krishna, he was sent to Gokul, where he was raised by Nanda and Yashoda. Yashoda and Devaki are both regarded as Krishna’s mothers.

While Kansa tried to kill Krishna, he couldn’t. It was raining heavily on the night Krishna was born and Vasudeva had to cross river Yamuna to take Krishna to Gokul. He carried Krishna on a basket on his head. The basket is believed to be followed by a seven-headed serpent which spread its hoods over the basket to protect Krishna.

On the same day, another child was born. She was the daughter of Yashoda and an incarnation of the divine goddess and was known as Devi Yogmaya. Vasudeva replaced her with Lord Krishna and took her back to Mathura. Years later, Krishna returned to Mathura and killed Kansa, thus the prophecy became true. And Lord Krishna led to the end of a evil, for which he was born.

How Is the Festival Celebrated?

Lord Krishna is believed to be born at the midnight of Janmashtami, which is the eighth day of the Bhadrapada month of the Hindu Calendar. Janmashtami celebrations are special in places like Mathura, Vrindavan, Gokul, and Dwarika where Krishna spent most of his life. People fast on this day, and break their fast only after midnight, i.e. post the birth of Krishna. They then distribute prasad. The temples are decorated, devotional songs are played, followed by aarti. Also, dance and drama (Rasa Leela), which was special to Krishna, are a part of the Janmashtami celebrations. Krishna’s idol is decorated with flowers and bathed with auspicious liquids. The child form of Krishna, Balkrishna, is worshipped on this day and put in a small pallana (swing) and prayed to.

Another important celebration of Janmashtami is the Dahi Handi. It is a team sport in which an earthen pot, full of dahi (yogurt) and flowers is placed on a height and people form a human pyramid to reach it and break it. It is a recreation of Krishna's mischiefs during his youth, when he gathered his friends to steal butter from high-hanging pots by forming pyramids.

Lord Krishna teaches us the importance of love, peace, detachment and truthfulness. Krishna stands for his own kind of spirituality and that is one of the reasons what makes him so popular among devotees. His teachings like Karma is eternally significant to mankind. As the festival of Janmashtmi is nearing, it is time we gear up, decorate our homes and get involved in the devotion of Lord Vishnu’s most powerful incarnation. Check out DIY decoration ideas for Janmashtmi. Let us know how you are planning to celebrate the festival this year, in the comments section. Happy Janmashtmi!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Aug 27, 2018 07:24 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).