Shri Krishna Janmashtami will be celebrated on 4th September this year

This year Shri Krishna Janmashtami will be celebrated on 4th September. For both householders and the Vaishnav sect, the fast and birth festival of Janmashtami fall on the same day. According to the Panchang calculation, the Ashtami tithi will start at 2:25 AM on 4th September and last until 12:13 AM on 5th September.

According to the astrologer of Kashi, it is not sufficient to consider only the Ashtami tithi to determine Janmashtami; it is necessary that the midnight time considered as the birth time should also fall under the Ashtami tithi. For this reason, the Janmashtami fast and the manifestation festival of Lord Shri Krishna will be celebrated on 4th September.

The day on 4th September will begin with Harshan yoga, which will last until 3:44 PM. Regarding the nakshatra, Rohini nakshatra will prevail until 11:04 PM. At the designated midnight time for Lord Shri Krishna's birth worship, there will be a conjunction of Mrigashira nakshatra and Vajra yoga.

Professor Vinay Pandey, an astrologer from Kashi, explains that the worship of Janmashtami is not limited to rituals alone but holds special importance for devotion. Devotees celebrate the manifestation festival of Lord Shri Krishna by considering him as a child member and son of their family. The worship begins with Gauri-Ganesh puja and Kalash installation. Ganeshji is worshipped for obstacle removal, while Varun Dev is invoked in the Kalash. After this, the manifestation of Lord Shri Krishna is awaited.

There are various folk traditions of celebrating the birth festival in different parts of the country. In some places, the feeling of the Lord’s birth is expressed by manifesting him through a cucumber, while in others, the feeling of the Lord’s appearance is expressed by suddenly lighting up a dark room at midnight. In many places, the child form of Krishna is bathed with milk or Panchamrit to celebrate the birth festival. Behind these traditions is the devotee’s sentiment of accepting the Lord as their child.

From a religious perspective, Lord Shri Krishna is considered unborn. Therefore, his birth is not like that of an ordinary being but is regarded as the divine manifestation and incarnation play of God.

According to Subhash, associated with the Astrology Department of Banaras Hindu University, on Janmashtami day devotees should fast as much as possible and chant the praises of Lord Shri Krishna. Remembering the Lord’s names and singing bhajans and kirtans are important parts of the Janmashtami devotional tradition. On this occasion, devotees can chant names of the Lord such as ‘Shri Krishna Govind Hare Murari, He Nath Narayan Vasudeva’ and ‘Govind Damodar Madhave’.

Fruits available according to the season, sattvic dishes, and other items can be offered as bhog to the Lord. There is also a tradition of offering arghya and madhupak to celebrate the birth festival.

Special decorations are made in Krishna temples across the country on Janmashtami. In many temples, a tableau of a prison is made in memory of the birthplace of Lord Shri Krishna. At midnight, with the manifestation of the Lord, conch shells and bells are sounded and devotees shout slogans.

Householder devotees decorate their home prayer places as temples and adorn the idol of Bal Gopal or Laddu Gopal. Family members celebrate the birth festival together. This worship is also performed for wishes related to children and marriage.

To make Kanha’s 5253rd birth festival special, the markets of Mathura-Vrindavan are decorated and ready. Before Janmashtami, crowds of devotees are thronging the markets to buy clothes, crowns, and other adornments for Laddu Gopal.

Devotees first perform the abhishek of Lord Krishna at midnight. Then he is dressed in beautiful clothes and placed on a swing.