Janmashtami

Janmashtami (Krishnastami; Krishna's Birthday)

August-September; new moon day of Hindu month of Bhadrapada

One of the most important Hindu festivals, Janmashtami cele ­ brates the birthday of Lord Krishna, the eighth incarnation of Vishnu and the hero of both rich and poor. Throughout India it is a fast day until the new moon is sighted. Then there are ceremonies and prayers at temples dedicated to Krishna. Rituals include bathing the statue of the infant Krishna and then placing his image in a silver cradle with playthings.
In Mathura, Uttar Pradesh, where Krishna was born, there are performances of Krishna Lila, the folk dramas depicting scenes from Krishna's life. In the state of Tamil Nadu, oiled poles called ureyadi are set up, a pot of money is tied to the top, and boys dressed as Krishna try to shinny up the pole and win the prize while spectators squirt water at them.
In Maharashtra, where the festival is known as Govinda, pots containing money and curds and butter are suspended high over streets. Boys form human pyramids climbing on each others' shoulders to try to break the pot. These climbing games reflect stories of Krishna, who as a boy loved milk and butter so much they had to be kept out of his reach.
In Nepal, a religious fast is observed on Krishnastami, and Krishna's temple at Lalitpur is visited by pilgrims. People parade in a procession around the town and display pictures of Krishna.
Numerous rich legends tell of Krishna's life. He is supposed to have been adored as a child for his mischievous pranks—tricking people out of their freshly churned butter or stealing the clothes of the cow maidens, called gopis, while they bathed in the river. Later, he used his flute to lure the gopis to amorous dalliances. He also defeated the 100-headed serpent Kaliya by dancing it into submission. Paintings, sculpture, and classical dances depict the many episodes of his life. Portraits of him as a child often show him dancing joyously and holding a ball of butter in his hands. Most often he is shown as the divine lover, playing the flute and surrounded by adoring women.

CONTACTS:
Ministry of Tourism, Government of India
Rm. No 123, Transport Bhawan, No. 1, Parliament St.
New Delhi, Delhi 110 001 India
91-11-23715084; fax: 91-11-23715084
www.tourisminindia.com
Uttar Pradesh Tourism Department, Directorate of Tourism
Rajarshi Purshottam Das Tandon Paryatan Bhavan
Vipin Khand, Gomti Nagar
Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh C-13 India
91-522-2308916; fax: 91-522-2308937
www.up-tourism.com

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BkHolWrld-1986, Aug 26
DictFolkMyth-1984, pp. 590, 924
DictWrldRel-1989, p. 304
EncyRel-1987, vol. 4, p. 454
FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 516
HolSymbols-2009, p. 423
RelHolCal-2004, p. 174
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