Janmashtami 2026

All About the Festival of Shri Krishna Janmashtami

The diversity of the country makes it a perfect place where different festivals can be celebrated with a spirit of unity and joy. Sri Krishna Janmashtami is one of these festivals that celebrate the birth of Lord Vishnu's avatar, Sri Krishna. It is also popularly known as Gokulashtami and falls on the eighth day of the Bhadrapada month. According to Hindu beliefs, Lord Vishnu incarnated as Krishna Bhagwan on the Earth to slay the demon Kansa, the brother of Devaki.

Sri Krishna Janmashtami Puja Vidhi

The puja vidhi of the Janmashtami festival is quite significant, as all the preparations are made to celebrate the birth of Laddoo Gopal (child form of Lord Krishna). We have listed an elaborate puja vidhi down below for this occasion to help you reap maximum benefits of this puja:

• Take a bath and change into clean clothes in the morning.

• Begin the preparations for the puja at night by decorating Sri Krishna's palna, or cradle, and cleaning the place of worship with Gangajal (water from the holy river Ganges).

• At night, begin the puja by first observing dhyana. Connect your soul to the Lord.

• Respectfully put the idol of Lord Krishna on the palna. Those who do not have one can also use a wooden chowki (a low wooden seat or stool).

• Offer water to the deity's feet, also known as performing padya.

• Offer arghya (ritualistic offering of water) to the Lord.

• Drink the water after making an offering to the Lord. This is known as achaman.

• Now perform the snana (bathing) ceremony of the Lord. Pour the five ingredients of the Panchamrit, namely, ghee, honey, milk, curd, and Gangajal, on the idol. Collect the five ingredients and serve them as prasad (a devotional offering typically consisting of food) later as Panchamrit.

• Adorn the idol of the deity in new clothes and accessories. This step is called performing the deity's shringaar.

• Offer the holy janeu (a sacred thread) to God.

• Apply a paste of Chandan on the God.

• Deck the Lord in jewelry, crown, mor pankh (peacock feather), and bansuri (flute).

• Offer Tulsi (holy basil) leaves and flowers to the deity.

• Light an incense stick and dhoop.

• Light an oil lamp.

• Make an offering of the bhog (sacred food offering to the deity) to the Lord. Do not forget Krishna's favorite, Makhan and Mishree, on this occasion.

• Offer a tambulam to the God, which consists of coconut, paan, betel nuts, kumkum, and haldi.

• Offer dakshina.

• Sing the aarti of Kunj Bihari (another name for Krishna) to appease God.

• Perform a parikrama (the action or ritual of moving clockwise around an object of devotion to indicate reverence) after the aarti.

• Join both hands and pray to the Lord to protect you and your family from all evil.

Astrological Significance of Janmashtami Festival

The tale behind the birth of Lord Krishna is certainly extremely fascinating and captivating. He was born in the Rohini Nakshatra of the Asthami tithi (eighth day) during the waning phase of the moon known as Krishna Paksha. He was born in the month of Bhadrapada as per the Hindu Panchang. Hence, the Sri Krishna Janmashtami dates and times are determined after making these astrological calculations.

His birth was destined to prevail over the age of dharma every time adharma began to rise in the world. He is the protector who saves the world from the destruction caused by adharma and its followers. Krishna eliminated his uncle Kansa as his evil deeds had reached a peak. Hence, Lord Vishnu incarnates in different forms upon this Earth to reinstate the reign of dharma each time the world is engulfed in chaos and terror.

How Do People Celebrate Krishna Dahi Handi?

Significance of Janmashtami Festival

As per the scriptures in Hinduism, Sri Krishna was born on the Ashtami Tithi or the eighth day of the dark fortnight of the month of Bhadrapada in the town of Mathura. He was born to Devaki and Vasudeva. Devaki was the sister of the demon king of Mathura, Kansa.

According to a prophecy, Kansa's sins would be punished, and he would be killed by the eighth son of Devaki. Hence, Kansa imprisoned his own sister and her husband. He tried to kill Devaki's children as soon as they were born to eliminate the possibility of the prophecy coming true.

When the eighth son was born to Devaki, the entire palace fell in a magically induced deep slumber, and Vasudeva managed to save the baby from Kansa's wrath by transferring him to Yashodha and Nanda's house in Vrindavan, in the middle of the night. This baby was an avatar of Lord Vishnu and came to be known as Sri Krishna, who ultimately slew Kansa, putting an end to his rule of terror.

Rituals Associated with Sri Krishna Janmashtami Festival

This festival is cherished by both young and old, and it has a lot to do with the rituals associated with this day. Let us look at some of the prominent rituals associated with this day:

• Devotees all around the country observe a fast on this day. The entire day is spent in the memory of the Lord, and the fast is broken after midnight, the time deemed to be the birth hour of Lord Krishna.

• Devotees chant the name of the Lord throughout the day, coloring the atmosphere with a spirit of devotion and dedication.

• Devotional hymns are recited, especially in the Krishna temples. The bhajans are sung in praise of the Lord, creating a lively environment all around.

• Skits depicting the life events of Krishna and his various leelas are organized on a grand scale everywhere. Raas Leela is also performed with kids dressed as Krishna and his Gopis, dancing to the songs epitomizing their love.

• Makhan was extremely dear to Lord Krishna, and hence it is an important delicacy of the day. Sweets are made using dry fruits, milk, khoya, and sugar to appease the little Gopal.

• Lessons from the Bhagavad Gita are recited for all to remind us of the teachings of Krishna and the true meaning of life.

Legends Associated with Janmashtami

According to the mythology surrounding Krishna's birth, the kingdom of Mathura fell asleep due to divine intervention when Devaki's eighth son was born. This enabled Vasudeva to take advantage of the situation, sneaking his newborn son out of Mathura. He carried Krishna in a basket in the heavy rains.

The king of the snakes, Shesnag, emerged from the Yamuna River and shielded the two with his five-headed hood. Therefore, with the help of the cosmic powers, Vasudeva managed to cross the heavy flow of the river Yamuna, reaching Gokul. Once here, Vasudeva left his son with his foster parents, Yashoda and Nanda.

Yashoda, on the other hand, had given birth to a girl, believed to be an incarnation of Goddess Durga. Vasudeva replaced the girl with Krishna, taking the baby girl back with him to Mathura. He thus managed to trick Kansa into believing that the prophecy of his death at the hands of Devaki's eighth son is false, giving him a sense of relief and joy.

The festival of Janmashtami is celebrated with a lot of excitement and vigor each year as devotees revel in the birth anniversary of Krishna, their lord and protector.

Janmashtami Dates from 2027 to 2032

To know more about the auspicious muhurats related to this festival, connect with Astroyogi astrologers right away!