Janmashtami 2018, the annual Hindu festival that is celebrated around the country with much fervour, marks the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna. Also known as Krishna Janmashtami, Sri Krishna Jayanti or Gokulashtami, the festival is celebrated on Ashtami or the eight the day of the month of Krishna Paksha (the night between the new moon and the full moon) of the dark fortnight in the holy month of Shravana. In order to celebrate the birth of the Lord, who is the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu, temples all over the country are decorated, streets are adorned with lights and delectable food stalls, devotees observe a day-long fast and processions are held. In the celebrations, idols of the Lord are cleaned and decorated with new ornaments and clothes. After that, the idol is placed in a cradle as devotees swing it in order to signify Krishna's birth. Also, the Bhagvad Gita and Bhagvata Purana, the holy book of Hindus, is read across the temples. This year with the confusion of date and timings of the festival, here are the exact details for you to celebrate the festival without any worry on your mind. Janmashtami 2018: Date This year, the festival will be celebrated on September 2 and September 3, with most people all over the country celebrating it on September 3. Janmashtami 2018: Puja Muhurat Timings The festival begins at 8:47 PM on September 2 and will go on till 7:20 PM on September 3. The Nishith Puja will begin at 11:57 PM on September 2 and will end at 12:48 AM. The festival is widely celebrated all across the country, in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and many more. It is followed by the festival of Nandotsav, and then by the Dahi Handi festival in Maharashtra, which will be held on September 3. ALSO SEE: Indian Idol 10 Top 12 contestants celebrate Janmashtami ALSO WATCH: Mumbai gripped by Janmashtami fervour<doc-sep>Krishna Janmashtami 2018: Lord Krishna was born on ‘Ashtami’ or the ‘eighth day’ at midnight in the holy month of Shravana.. (Designed by Nidhi Mishra/ Indian Express) Krishna Janmashtami 2018: Lord Krishna was born on ‘Ashtami’ or the ‘eighth day’ at midnight in the holy month of Shravana.. (Designed by Nidhi Mishra/ Indian Express) Janmashtami is a Hindu festival observed to commemorate the birth of Lord Krishna. According to the Hindu lunar calendar, Krishna was born on ‘Ashtami’ or the ‘eighth day’ at midnight in the holy month of Shravana. Hence, the day is also known as Krishna Janmashtami as it signifies the birth of Lord Krishna on the eighth day. It is a popular festival in the northern belt of the country especially in Mathura (said to be the birthplace of Lord Krishna), in parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan, and in the northeastern states like Assam and Manipur. On this day, devotees fast and spend their time singing devotional songs and worshipping the Lord. They break the fast the next day when the Ashtami Tithi is over. They also prepare ‘chappan bhog’, 56 dishes to offer to Krishna, and after the rituals, the prasad is distributed and shared among the devotees. DATE AND PUJA MAHURAT According to drikpanchang.com, Nishita Kala is the time of midnight as per Vedic time and the time to break the fast is called the Parana. For the followers of Vaishnava Sampradaya, the festival falls on September 3 and their Parana starts at 6:27am. Nishita Puja Time: 12:14am to 1:01am Midnight time of Nishita phase is 12:38am On September 3 Parana Time: After 6:27pm Ashtami Tithi End Time: 7:19pm on September 3.<doc-sep>Janmashtami is celebrated to mark the birth of Lord Krishna as it is believed that he was born at midnight on the eighth day (Ashtami) in the month of Shravan. On Janmashtami, stories of Lord Krishna’s birth and how he battled his enemies are shared among his devotees. His followers also visit temples to offer prayers to him. History of Janmashtami Mathura was under the rule of the evil King Kansa, who had a sister called Princess Devaki. She was married to Vasudeva with much pomp, but then a message was delivered that their eight son would cause the fall of Kansa. When he came to know about this prophecy, Kansa immediately got Devaki and Vasudeva imprisoned. He killed the first six children who were born to the couple. The seventh child, called Balram, was magically transferred from Devaki’s womb to that of princess Rohini, who was in Vrindavan. After the birth of their eight child, Vasudeva was helped by the gods who guided him to take the baby to Vrindavan to the house of Nand and Yashoda. Vasudeva returned to Mathura with a baby girl to present to Kansa, so that he wouldn’t kill her. However, Kansa picked up the baby to smash her against a rock. As he did so, she took the form of Goddess Durga, and warned him about his death. Krishna fighting the Garuda bird, one of his many adventures. (Shutterstock) Celebrating Janmashtami Krishna devotees fast for the entire day and break when Ashtami tithi gets over. The Krishna Abhishekam is performed, where milk, ghee and water are offered to Krishna. Devotees also visit temples and also bathe Krishna’s idol in milk, honey and water at home. The day after Janmashtami is celebrated as the dahi handi festival in Maharashtra. Puja timings Ashtami Tithi starts at: 08:47 pm on September 2, 2018 Ashtami Tithi finishes at: 7:19 pm on September 3, 2018 Nishita Puja timing: 11:57 pm to 12:43 am Parana timing: After 08:05 pm (September 3) Dahi Handi: September 3, 2018 Follow @htlifeandstyle for more<doc-sep>School children on Janmashtami (Reuters) 2018 Krishna Janmashtami: Janmashtami, which is celebrated on the eighth day of the month of Bhadra of the Hindu Calendar, signifies the birth of Lord Krishna – the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu. In Sanskrit, the ‘eighth day’ translates to ‘Ashtami’, and thus Janmashtami derived its name. In 2018, Hindus from India and abroad are gearing up to celebrate this holy festival of Janmashtami on 2nd of September, Sunday. This festival is celebrated across several northern, eastern and western states of the country. Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Bengal, Odisha, Assam and Manipur. However, Janmashtami in Mathura of Uttar Pradesh is said to hold utmost significance – as Lord Krishna is said to be born in this city overestimated 3000 years before Christ. History: Lord Krishna, who lived over 5000 years ago, is believed to be the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The earliest descriptions of Lord Krishna can be found in the epic of Mahabharata, where several stories revolve around Krishna himself. According to mythological beliefs, Krishna was the son of Devaki and her husband, King Vasudeva of the Yadava clan. However, his uncle Kansa wanted to kill Krishna, which is why his father took him to Gokul, where he grew up with foster parents Nanda and Yashoda. Krishna grew up as a charming cow herder, who was also infamous for playing pranks on people. According to legends, later in life, he overthrew tyrant King Kansa after dodging several assassination attempts by him and became the prince of the court. He even took part in the War of Kurukshetra, as the charioteer of Arjuna, according to the myths. ALSO READ: When is Janmashtami 2018: Date, Day, Pooja Muhurat Time Significance: The significance of Janmashtami is to promote the goodwill within every human being while suppressing the bad ones. This belief finds its roots in Bhagavad Gita where Vishnu is believed to have said that he will show up whenever there will be a prevalence of evil and decline of religion. The festival also signifies togetherness, when the families and friends come together to celebrate it. Janmashtami Celebration Ideas: 1. Dress up the kids as Radha or Krishna If there are little kids at home, what’s the need to wait for a go-as-you-like competition? Dress them up as Radha or Krishna. Not only will that make the household more colourful and fun, but the kids will be happy as well. 2. Decorate the Jhula Deck up the Jhula on which the Krishna or Gopal will be placed to be worshipped – be it with flowers from your garden or fairy lights. And why just that, bring colours to the rooms with rangolis and alpanas. 3. Invite friends and relatives Not just because it is entwined with our culture, but inviting friends and relatives will just brighten up the mood for celebration in your home. 4. Decorate home: Decorate you with dahi handis, peacock feathers, or even decorative bansuris. 5. What can be more fun? Arrange for a mini dahi handi for the kids in the neighbourhood, who can reach out and break the handi themselves! But at the end of it all, don’t forget to enjoy. Happy Janmashtami 2018!<doc-sep>
Janmashtami, an annual Hindu festival, marks the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna. The festival is celebrated on the Ashtami (eight the day of the month) of Krishna Paksha (night between the new moon and the full moon) of the dark fortnight in the month of Bhadon (holy month of Shravana). According to the Gregorian Calendar, the festival usually falls in the month of August or September. The festival is celebrated with great joy and fervor by Hindus. The Krishna Janmashtami celebrations are held across the country and also in various parts of the world. The festival is known by several names like Krishnashtami, Gokulashtami, Srikrishna Jayanti, Sree Jayanti, or simply as Janmashtami. Significance of Janamshtami The tradition of celebrating Lord Krishna's birthday hails as one of the most important religious festivals for Hindus. Raas Lila or Krishna Lila which comprises dance and drama enactments of Lord Krishna's life is one of the popular ways to celebrate the festival. According to the verses in the Bhagavad-Gita, a famous shloka narrates that whenever there will be pre-dominance of evil and decline of goodness, Lord Vishnu shall re-incarnate to save the earth. Lord Krishna's birth as an incarnation of Lord Vishnu also marks the prevalance of goodwill and good energies. Why is Krishna Janmashtami celebrated Janmashtami is an annual Hindu festival that marks the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna. Lord Krishna, one of the favourite deities of Hindus, is considered as their hero, protector, teacher and a companion. According to Hindu mythology Lord Krishna took birth to dispel evil and spread the message of love and brotherhood. The teachings of Bhagavd Gita (one of the holy books of hindusim) is a dialogue between Lord Krishna and his student Arjuna. Lord Krishna's teachings for life are regarded as the Lord himself in a human form by Hindus. Here is how Krishna Janmastami is celebrated Devotees observe a day-long fast only to open it next day when the Asthami tithi or the eight day is over. The devotees gear up to welcome baby Krishna to their homes by performing Krishna Abhishekam. People decorate Lord Krishna’s idol with new garments and fresh flowers after bathing the idol with milk, ghee and water. Then bhog is offered to the deity. Devotees fast on this day. They adhere to phalahar diet (diet which consits of fruits and water) during the hours of fasting. Lord Krishna, also known as Nandlala, is made to rest in a cradle. The cradle is then rocked by the devotees while performing the religious ceremonies. Bala Krishna, the child Krishna, is a divine child and one of the popular deities of Hindus across India. People across India dress their children like Bala Krishna and celebrate the festival. Janmashtami is widely celebarted across India in Uttar Pardesh, Gujarat, South India, Rajasthan. A day after Janmashtami is celebrated as Dahi Handi festival in Maharshtra. Janmashtami 2018: Puja Muhurat Timings Nishita Puja Timing: 11:57 pm to 12:43 am Duration: 45 minutes On 3rd September, Parana Time is after 08:05 pm On Parana Day Ashtami Tithi End: 07:19 pm On Parana Day Rohini Nakshatra End Time: 08:05 pm Dahi Handi is on 3rd September, 2018 Ashtami Tithi Begins at 08:47 pm on 2nd September, 2018 Ashtami Tithi Ends at 07:19 pm on 3rd September, 2018