Janmashtami 2022: Mathura to Kerala- places to visit to see the celebration of Lord Krishna's birthday
Janmashtami, also known as Gokulashtami in India, celebrates Lord Krishna's birthday and will be held on August 19 this year. Krishna, one of the most well-known Hindu gods, is believed to be Vishnu's eighth incarnation.
FollowThe important event of Krishna Janmashtami is approaching, and, like with Raksha Bandhan earlier this month, everyone is wondering if it will be celebrated on August 18th or 19th. According to the Drik Panchang, Krishna Janmashtami will be celebrated on both days this year, 2022, since Ashtami Tithi will begin on August 18 and finish on August 19 2022. Here are some of the top places in India to experience Janmashtami festivities and travel over the holiday.
Mathura
Mathura celebrates Janmashtami with tremendous zeal since it is the birthplace of Lord Krishna. Jhulanotsav and Ghatas are the two major holidays observed here. People hang swings above their Krishna statues in their homes for the Juhlanotsav holiday. Krishna statues are washed in milk, curd, honey, and even ghee in the early morning ritual known as Abhishek (anointment). After bathing, the idol is adorned in fresh clothes and accessories and placed in a swing (jhulan). These swings are put in the courtyards of homes and temples across Mathura to mark Krishna's birth. Krishna sculptures swing on them.
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The "Ghatas" practice entails adorning the city's temples in the same colour scheme. Various temples organise pujas to commemorate Krishna's birth. Bankey Bihari, Dwarkadhish, Krishna Janmabhoomi Mandir, and the ISKCON temple are famous monuments in Mathura.
Gokul
Because it is where Lord Krishna spent his formative years with his devoted adoptive parents, Yashodha and Nanda, Gokul is the most significant site associated with his childhood. Gokul observes Janmashtami, also known as Gokulashtami, a day later than the rest of the country since Krishna was carried there after midnight from Mathura. When the people of Gokul realised Krishna's existence one day after his birth, they chose to celebrate his birthday on that day.
The Radha Raman Temple and Radha Damhodar are two of Gokul's most well-known pilgrimage temples. After reciting Sanskrit mantras and praise songs till midnight, the Krishna deity is washed in curd, buttermilk, and nectar. Janmashtami celebrations are defined by the Janmashtami Pooja, chime-ringing, conch-and-shell-blowing, and other religious and social rituals.
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Vrindavan
The Janmashtami celebration begins in Vrindavan ten days before Krishna's birthday. The Govind Dev Temple in Vrindavan is one of India's oldest temples. The area that surrounds the temples is densely forested with Vana Tulsi (basil) trees. Nidhi Van, a famed Krishna temple in the centre of a big grove of trees, is another beautiful location.
There are almost 4,000 temples in Vrindavan. All of these folks celebrate Janmashtami with excitement and zeal. This is why Vrindavan is a popular tourist destination this time of year.
Mumbai
Janmashtami and Ganesh Chaturthi are two of the most famous festivities in Mumbai, the city of lights. A handful of committed organisations practise the Dahi handi rite, which involves many people building a pyramid to reach and destroy an earthen pot high in the air.
This is a reproduction of a childhood story about Krishna, in which the youngster is claimed to have broken such earthen butter pots while building pyramids with his companions. Some of the greatest Dahi handi festivals are held in Worli, Thane, and Jogeshwari. The ISKCON temple in Juhu is an excellent spot to visit during Janmashtami since it vividly celebrates Krishna's birthday.
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Kerala
On Janmashtami, Kerala puts on a spectacular festival. Palpaysam and appam, two traditional South Indian dishes, are prepared and offered to Krishna. The Guruvayoor Sri Krishna temple is the focal point of significant ceremonies and festival festivities. To begin, poojas and aartis are performed in the temple throughout the day. Elephants lead a procession bearing a gold deity of "Balakrishna" from the Guruvayoor shrine.
