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The
ceremony that follows is a very simple affair. To the chanting of mantras, the
priests bathe the idol with Gangajal (water from the holy Ganges river), milk,
ghee (clarified butter), oil, and honey. Yellow-robed priests pour all these
from a conch shell. Once the ceremony is over, it is time for devotees to break
their daylong fast and to pack their bags and head homeward. Janmashtami is
celebrated on the eighth day of the new moon in the lunar month of Bhadra corresponding
to the months of August-September of the western calendar. In Janmashtami, the
moment of importance is midnight when Krishna is born. People fast all day (some
without even water) and eat only after the midnight birth ceremony is over. |
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Temples and homes all over India display jhankis (tableaux) showing important
incidents from the Lord’s life. Often the image of the baby Krishna is
placed on a swing and bathed with charanamrit (holy water). Midnight prayers
are performed. The sound of hymns and religious songs extol the greatness of
Krishna. While this festival is celebrated throughout the country, it is in
Mathura that the celebrations reach their peak. The midnight ceremony is often
relayed live to devotees by radio and television.
Krishna,
the eighth of the 10 incarnations of Vishnu (the Preserver of the Universe),
is one of Hinduism’s most popular gods, and his story is a long one, which
can only be very briefly outlined here. He was born at Mathura to Vasudeva and
Devaki, the cousin of the ruling King Kansa. It was prophesied that Devaki’s
eighth son would kill Kansa. Kansa imprisoned Devaki and Vasudeva and killed
her children as they were born. However, Krishna was smuggled out of the prison
and brought up as the child of the cowherd Nanda and his wife Yashoda at Gokul. |
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Legend
has it that when Devaki was with child, she glowed with an almost unearthly
light. When Krishna was born, everything was auspicious the planets and stars
were in the right position, the rivers and lakes were clear and sweet, flowers
bloomed everywhere, and an air of tranquility pervaded the earth. As the newborn
child came into the world, Vasudeva and Devaki looked at him in wonder. This
was not an ordinary child. The Lord had appeared in his real form. Dark as a
rain-cloud, the child made the prison glow with the splendor of his crown, his
jewelry, and his yellow silk robes. Even as they were looking on, his divine
form was lost and he became an ordinary child in their eyes. Vasudeva had been
commanded to take the child and leave him in Gokul, in the house of Nanda. Vasudeva
placed the child in a small wicker basket and as he wondered how to get across
the locked doors, a miracle took place. The locks snapped open. Vasudeva walked
towards the door and found that the guards were all sunk in deep sleep. He quickly
walked out and reached the banks of the river Yamuna. Suddenly, the sky became
overcast and torrents of rain lashed the ground. Vasudeva did not know how he
was going to cross the river, but, placing his faith in the Lord, he plunged
into the water. The great serpent Adisesha, with his two thousand hoods, protected
the child from the rain and the water in the Yamuna receded to give way to Vasudeva. |
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In
his childhood, the incarnate God performed many miracles, but also played childish
pranks that have been immortalized in the rich folklore of India. His flirtations
with the wives and daughters of the cowherds (gopis) are legendary. Nevertheless,
his favorite gopi was the beautiful Radha. Eventually, he gave up his idyllic
pastoral life, and turned his attention to destroying his wicked uncle, Kansa.
After slaying him, he founded a new capital, Dwarka, and married Rukmini, daughter
of the king of Vidharbha.
The
pious begin the festival by fasting on the previous day (Saptami). This is followed
by a night-long vigil commemorating the birth of Krishna at night, and his immediate
removal by his father to a foster-home for safe-keeping. At midnight, the idol
of the infant Krishna is bathed, placed in a cradle and worshipped. |
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In the early
morning, ladies draw patterns of little children's feet outside the house with
rice-flour paste, walking towards the house. This symbolizes the entry of the
infant Krishna into his foster-home. This custom is popular in some communities
of south India. After ablutions, morning prayers and worship, the devout break
their fast with Prasadam, food that has first been offered to the lord. During
the fore-noon hours, the "Dahi-Handi" custom is celebrated in some
parts of the deccan. This is followed by sumptuous mid-day feasts, where extended
families customarily get together. Sweets made of milk and other dairy products,
especially butter, are traditionally prepared on this occasion. The festival
is celebrated with especial fervour in north India. The temples at Vrindavan
and Mathura witness a colourful, even boisterous celebration on this occasion,
and festivities at these places may extend for several days. Devotional songs
and dances mark the celebration. The Raslila is performed to recreate incidents
from the life of Krishna and commemorate his love for Radha. |
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While
the Raslila recreates the youthful Krishna's dalliance with the milkmaids of
his native land, the "Dahi-Handi" tradition of Maharashtra re-enacts
his childhood pranks, wherein Krishna and his young cronies helped themselves
to butter and other goodies in the houses of their neighbours. Clay pots called
"Dahi-Handi", filled with curd and butter, are suspended high above
the ground. To a constant chorus of "Govinda, Govinda" from all those
present, teams of young men form human pyramids to reach the pot and break it,
to the merriment of the youths and of the assembly. The festival is thus celebrated
with great joy and communal togetherness by one and all.
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