When I was back home in India living with parents, surrounded by hundreds of second and third cousins we would celebrate loads of festivals. Sometimes I would even joke with my mom that it seems like for a devout Hindu everyday is a unique festival. Mom would immediately reply "Yes, the gift of life and that too in the Karma Bhoomi, i.e., Bharat aka India is indeed cause enough to celebrate every day we live there." Perhaps that is why most Hindus in America including me are hardly aware of the exact dates of the many festivals that we would have celebrated if we were in our homeland. The festivals I have missed even remembering the dates in the past month include, Varamaha Lakshmi pooja, Upakarma, Raksha Bandhan, etc. It is the same story every year, when I realize I have missed a festival, I make a mental note and tell myself that I should not forget it the following year. But as it is said History Repeats.
This year luckily I have blindly signed up to be on the mailing list of several Hindu religious and Secular social organizations formed by people from India. Recently I got a mail from the Jagadguru Kripalu Yog about the Krishna Janmashtami celebrations they are organizing in Plano, TX for the benefit of all Hindus in the area. The celebrations are being held on August 29, 2010 (couple days before the actual festival because of weekend) at the Precious Beginning Montessori School, on Alma road in Plano, TX.
This is the day when Lord Krishna the most recent incarnation of the supreme Hindu god Vishnu. Lord Krishna is a highly revered by over a billion Hindus across the world. There are numerous western devotees of Lord Krishna who are members of the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCon).
I will be working during the weekend else I would definitely go and participate in the event. Last year we had been to Houston to participate in the grand celebrations and brought back several great memories and enthusiasm. This year I guess I have to contend with working...
Sree Krishna Janmashtami is celebrated to welcome and enjoy Lord Krishna’s birth. The birth of Lord Krishna took place when the various planets were in auspicious places. It is said that God chooses a particular time, as to when he will take birth as a human and the planetary systems are adjusted accordingly.
Sree Krishna Janmashtami Celebrations
Janmashtami is a two-day celebration in many parts of India. The first two days are celebrated colorfully and the merrymaking reaches its peak at midnight of the first day, when Lord Krishna was born. To mark the birth of the deity, the idol of the infant Krishna is bathed and is cradled in the midnight time. Conch shell is blown and the devotees celebrate the birth of the Lord Krishna by singing devotional songs and by dancing with great joy. Thereafter, mouthwatering sweets and dishes are served to the devotees.
Lord Krishna temples situated at Vrindhavan, Mathura, Dwaraka are the most popular for the celebrations of Janmashtami, as it is believed that Lord Krishna lived there. In some part of the North India, Krishna Janmashtami is celebrated for three days. The first two days are celebrated in a colorful manner. Dance drama, known as Raslila, is performed. Incidents from Sri Krishna’s life, especially his childhood, are depicted in the drama. On the second day of the festival, a popular ceremony known as ‘Dahi Handi’ takes place wherein the pot containing curd or butter or milk is broken by the youth.
The ritual of Dahi Handi is carried out with religious observance, in the northern parts of India. Maharashtra is especially popular for the ritual, wherein human pyramid tries to break the Handi (earthen pot filled with buttermilk) that is suspended from top, with the help of a rope. Onlookers throw water on the pyramid of boys in order to stop them from reaching the earthen pot. The process involves a lot of excitement. During Janmashtami, every other street of Mumbai organizes the Dahi Handi, as a part of the celebrations of the festival.
Various kinds of sweets are prepared to offer Lord Krishna on Janmashtami. Murukku and Vella Seedai are the specialties of Tamil Nadu, while in Kerala, people relish on Paal Payasam (Milk Kheer) and Neyyappam. Mathura is popular for Peda (sweet made of khoya – dried milk food). Milk and curd are the key ingredients of most of the recipes made for the festival. Apart from this, Shrikhand (Sweet Golden Yogurt), Singhade Ki Poori, and Gulabjamun are prepared for the festival.
Tags:Ashtami Rohini, Ashtami Rohini Festival Celebrations, Gokulashtami, Janmashtami, Krishnashtami, Saatam Aatham, Sree Jayanthi, Sree Krishna Janmashtami Celebrations, Sree Krishna Janmashtami in India, Srikrishna Jayanti, Srikrishna Jayanti in India
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