Krishna Janmashtami is a Hindu festival celebrated by the Hindu community in India. The day is observed on the 8th day of Krishna Paksha (dark fortnight) in the Shraavana month of the Hindu Luni-solar calendar. The festival commemorates the birth of Sri Krishna. The festival is fervently celebrated in several parts of India with reverence to Sri Krishna and his companion Radha. The festival is celebrated with exceptional zeal and enthusiasm in the northern states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Punjab, Haryana, Gujarat, and Himachal Pradesh.
Short and Long Essay on Krishna Janmashtami
Essay – 1 (250 Words)
Almost all Hindu festivals of India are celebrated in reverence to some God or Goddess of Hindu mythology. Krishna Janmashtami is also one of such festivals celebrated to commemorate the birth of Sri Krishna, who is believed to be the eighth reincarnation of Vishnu.
The festival is celebrated with exceptional zeal and enthusiasm, mainly in the north and north-west India. Mathura, the place of birth of Krishna, witnesses a grand celebration. Every street, crossing and Krishna temples in Mathura are decorated with colored ribbons, balloons, flowers, and colorful decorative lights.
All Krishna temples in Mathura and Vrindavan get packed from devotees and tourists from every corner of the country as well as the world. Many foreign tourists could also be seen dressed in white ascetic cloth and chanting bhajans.
Even the houses get transformed into temporary places of worship with every member taking early morning bath and collecting at the place of worship to perform puja (veneration) of Krishna. Statues of Krishna and Radha are kept side by side and rituals performed with devotion.
A distinct celebration takes place in Dwarka, Gujarat, where Krishna is believed to have established his kingdom. A ritualistic custom “Makhan Handi” in line with Mumbai’s “Dahi Handi” is performed there. Also, farmers in the Kutch district of Gujarat decorate the bullock carts and take out processions on Krishna with several other groups dancing on the way.
Essay – 2 (300 Words)
Introduction
Krishna Janmashtami is a Hindu festival celebrated in the months of August September as per the Gregorian calendar. Krishna Janmashtami marks the birth of the 8th reincarnation of Lord Vishnu, the slayer of Kamsa and advisor of Arjuna in Mahabharata. Krishna is a popular and much revered Hindu deity.
When is Krishna Janmashtami Celebrated?
Krishna Janmashtami is typically observed on the 8th day of the dark fortnight i.e. Krishna Paksha, in the Hindu Luni-solar calendar month of Shraavana. It corresponds to the Gregorian calendar month of August-September. The dates of the actual celebrations of Krishna Janmashtami at different places may vary by day.
Celebrations of Krishna Janmashtami
The Indian Hindu community celebrates Krishna Janmashtami displaying a mix of emotions – joy, fun, devotion, love, and compassion. For some it is an opportunity to spiritually awaken the soul; for others, it is just a day to sing bhajans and dance with compassion with reverence to Krishna.
Temples of Sri Krishna are profoundly decorated and every corner is lit up with lights of several colors. Groups of people dressed ascetically could be seen dancing and chanting bhajans. Surprisingly a good majority of devotees in the Mathura-Vrindavan region of Uttar Pradesh constitute foreign nationals.
Such is the aura and impression of Krishna that even someone not belonging to Indian soil gets drenched in devotion and compassion for him.
Some people, however, prefer to celebrate the day in private, in their house, either worshiping or fasting. Those who fast, usually do it for 24 hours, some even without water. During the fasting, they abstain from negative thoughts and other infatuations and try to chant the name of Krishna.
Conclusion
Krishna Janmashtami is one of the most significant and awaited festivals of Hindu’s mainly in the Braj region of Uttar Pradesh. People love to celebrate as much as they love their God and spare no time in worshiping their beloved God.
Essay – 3 (400 words)
Introduction
Krishna Janmashtami is a significant Hindu festival of India celebrated throughout the country. It marks the birth of Sri Krishna, son of Vasudeva and Devaki. He is a major Hindu deity and played a major role in Mahabharata and teaching Bhagavad Gita to Arjuna. Janmashtami is celebrated on the 8th day of (Ashtami) of the dark fortnight in the Hindu month of Shraavana.
Celebrations in India and Abroad
Every state of India has its own distinct way of celebrating Krishna Janmashtami. Like in Maharashtra, it is popularly known as Gokulashtami. Apart from the decoration of temples and other usual celebrations, the ritual of Dahi Handi is widely famous in Maharashtra, especially in Mumbai. Young men and boys form a human pyramid to break an earthen pot filled with curd and hanging with ropes high above. It is symbolic of Bal Krishna as he would do the same for his fondness to curd and butter.
Janmashtami celebrations in western states of India are more spiritual than celebratory and mainly revolve around the teachings and philosophy of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. People in these regions usually celebrate the day by lyrical songs and practicing Bhakti Yoga, a form of spiritual practice.
Likewise in the northeastern state of Manipur “Raslila” is performed by communities, depicting the playful and loving nature of Sri Krishna.
In neighboring Bangladesh, Janmashtami is a national holiday. A procession is taken out from the national temple of Bangladesh i.e. Dhakeshwari Temple in Dhaka and taken to the streets of old Dhaka.
Significance of Krishna Janmashtami
According to Hindu mythology, Krishna was born to Vasudeva and Devaki in Mathura, when the duo was imprisoned by Devaki’s brother Kansa. Kansa was evil and barbarous king who was warned that Devaki’s eighth child will be born to slay him. Kamsa managed to kill six of Devaki’s sons but Vasudeva somehow managed to save the seventh and eighth child that is, Balrama and Krishna respectively.
Krishna was born in an environment of complete chaos and mismanagement. Persecution was common, there was no freedom, no liberty and people were denied even the most important of their rights. Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu was born to put an end to Kamsa’s evil reign.
Thus by celebrating Janmashtami people reaffirm their faith in their beloved lord Krishna as the savior of the world from evil forces.
Conclusion
Krishna Janmashtami is a major Hindu festival, celebrated not only in India but also in Nepal, Bangladesh, Fiji and other parts of the world with devotees of Sri Krishna. Such is the glory of Krishna that his devotees cut across the lines of religion as well as region.
