Krishna Janmashtami
The birthday of Lord Krishna, the divine teacher of the Bhagavad Gita.
Krishna Janmashtami falls on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the dark half of the Hindu lunar month Bhadrapada (Shravana in amanta calendars), usually in August and sometimes in early September.
When Is Krishna Janmashtami?
Krishna Janmashtami falls on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the dark half of the Hindu lunar month Bhadrapada (Shravana in amanta calendars), usually in August and sometimes in early September.
Because the Gregorian date changes from year to year, check a calendar published by the tradition or your local community for this year's date.
Why It Matters
Krishna Janmashtami celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu, believed to have been born at midnight in Mathura to free the world from the tyranny of the demon king Kamsa. Krishna is revered as the teacher of dharma and the embodiment of divine love.
How It Is Observed
Fasting throughout the day until midnight (the birth hour), dramatic re-enactments of Krishna's birth (Krishna Lila), midnight prayers, Dahi Handi (human pyramid to reach a pot of curd, reenacting Krishna's childhood), singing bhajans.
Sacred Text
“Whenever there is a decline of righteousness and rise of evil, I manifest myself. For the protection of the good, for the destruction of the wicked, and for the establishment of righteousness, I am born from age to age.”
, Bhagavad Gita 4:7-8 ↗