Janmashtami 2021: Date, Time, Significance, and Puja Vidhi

Shri Krishna Janmashtami 2021: Janmashtami, also known as Krishna Janmashtami and Gokulashtami, is a Hindu festival celebrated as the birthday of Lord Krishna. He was born in northern India about 3,228 years before the Common Era in Mathura. This festival is celebrated with devotion and fervor in the month of the monsoon in India.

Hindu scriptures state that Lord Krishna is the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu who is the most popular and worshiped of all the gods of Hinduism. Many temples of Shri Krishna are built in different places in India where Janmashtami is celebrated with great pomp.

To make this day special, all the devotees of Shri Krishna decorate their temples and religious places, take out processions, do fasting, and perform Bhajan-Kirtan till midnight. The holy festival of Janmashtami is celebrated with great enthusiasm not only in India but also in foreign countries.

On the very next day of Janmashtami, people widely celebrate the festival of Dahi Handi. The reason for celebrating this festival is the activities done by Shri Krishna in his childhood. Krishna was very fond of eating butter and milk. And in his childhood, he used to break the pots with his friends and eat all the butter, milk, and curd. Because of this, people also affectionately call him by the name “Makhanchor”.

Based on these activities of the Lord, a grand event called “Dahi Handi” is held at many places in India on Janmashtami. On this occasion, a handi filled with butter, milk, curd, dry fruits is hung using ropes at such a height that no one can reach it easily.

After this, a lot of people come together and try to break that handi. One of them takes the responsibility of breaking the handi while everyone else helps him to reach it. For this, he makes a circular pyramid in the same way as the friends of Shri Krishna used to make.

Why Celebrate Krishna Janmashtami 2021?

According to Hindu scriptures, Lord Krishna was born at the midnight of Ashtami Tithi of Krishna Paksha of the Bhadrapada month. Being born on Ashtami date, this day is known as Janmashtami and is celebrated all over India.

Moreover, many Krishna devotees living abroad celebrate this festival with great joy and devotion. In Hindu mythology, Lord Krishna is depicted as the god of love, compassion, and tenderness. That’s why people also preach love, brotherhood, kindness, and unity on Janmashtami.

As per the Hindu scriptures, Shri Krishna was born at midnight in Mathura from the womb of Mother Devaki to destroy the tyrannical Kansa. He was the 8th incarnation of the supreme power Lord Vishnu.

On this day at 12 o’clock in the night, all the devotees celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna with enthusiasm in their homes and temples. Many devotees visit the birthplace of Krishna in Mathura, Gokul, and Vrindavan to worship him on Janmashtami.

When is Janmashtami 2021 in India?

Krishna Janmashtami 2021 is falling on Monday, 30 August. Janmashtami is celebrated on the Ashtami of Krishna Paksha in the month of Bhadrapada according to Hindu calenders. This year, Ashtami tithi will be starting on 29 August at 11:25 PM and ending on 30 August at 1:59 PM late night.

• Shri Krishna Janmashtami will fall on Monday, 30 August 2021.
• Ashtami Tithi will start on 29th August at 11:25 pm and will end on 31st August at 01:59 am.
• Nishita Puja will start at 11:59 pm and will end on August 31 at 12:44 pm.
• The time of midnight moment will be on 31st August at 12:22 am.
• The timing of Chandrodaya Moment will be on August 31 at 11:35 pm.
• Rohini Nakshatra will start on 30th August at 06:39 am and will end on 31st August at 09:44 am.
• Dahi handi event will take place on Tuesday, 31 August 2021.

How to Celebrate Krishna Janmashtami At Home?

People celebrate the festival of Janmashtami in different ways. On this day, everyone visits Lord Krishna’s temples, worships the Lord in their homes, and stays awake throughout the night while chanting Bhajans. Even some people celebrate this day like a birthday by cutting a cake.

If you want to make Janmashtami 2021 special by staying at your home, then below are some great ways for it.

Make Janmashtami Jhanki

On this day, many people make Janmashtami Jhanki at home and at temples depicting some special moments in the life of Shri Krishna. The view of the Jhanki looks amazing and mesmerizing. Here you will get to see a model of a village, villagers, plants, animals along with Lord Krishna.

Decorate Your House For Janmashtami 2021

Since Janmashtami is a special festival of Hindus, your home should also look special on this day. Clean and paint your home thoroughly to keep it looking new. Decorate every corner of the house with flowers, colorful lights, and diyas. You can decorate the entire house with balloons, colorful ribbons, and decorative items just like you would for the birthday of someone special in the house.

Send Janmashtami Wishes, Quotes & Greetings to People

On Janmashtami, you can send wishes and quotes with images to your family members, friends, and relatives. People always love to share and receive wishes and attractive graphics at such special festivals. Moreover, posting them on your timeline and status will express your love and devotion for Lord Krishna.

Check out this exclusive collection of Krishna Janmashtami wishes to share with other devotees.

Decorate Krishna With Colorful Clothes And Ornaments

Since Janmashtami is the birthday of Shri Krishna, you can decorate his idol nicely. Different types of idols are decorated in different ways. For example, if you have a clay idol, you can clean it with a cloth and paint it to make it look attractive. Similarly, if you have an idol made of bronze, silver, gold, or any other metal, you can wash it with water and clean it with a cloth to make it look new.

After this, decorate the idol with colorful clothes, ornaments, flowers, and other decorative items. Don’t forget to add flute and peacock feathers to the idol as both of these were very much liked by Krishna.

Best Places to Visit during Krishna Janmashtami 2021

If you are planning to go out on this Janmashtami, there are some special places that are a must-visit! The places mentioned below are quite popular as Lord Krishna spent some part of his life there.

1. Mathura, Uttar Pradesh

Mathura, a holy city in the state of Uttar Pradesh, is considered the birthplace of Lord Krishna in Hinduism. The whole city is situated on the banks of Yamuna. This is the place where Krishna’s parents Devaki and Vasudeva were imprisoned by the cruel Kansa.

People from all over the world come to Mathura to witness a major festival that takes place on the occasion of Janmashtami.

2. Dwarka, Gujrat

Dwarka, also known as the Gate of Moksha, is a holy city established by Shri Krishna and his elder brother Balarama. It is one of the four sacred pilgrimage sites of Hinduism and the seven most ancient religious cities of India. Devotees from all over the world visit this beautiful city to seek the blessings of that supreme divine power.

There is a holy temple of Shri Krishna on the banks of Gomti, which is famous as Dwarkadhish. In this temple, all the devotees of Lord Krishna decorate his idol with diamonds, gold, and other precious gems on Janmashtami.

3. Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh

Vrindavan is a holy city located in Mathura in the state of Uttar Pradesh, northern India. According to Hinduism, Vrindavan is the place where Lord Krishna spent his childhood. There are many temples dedicated to Lord Krishna and Goddess Radha in Vrindavan.

This place is also known as the home of temples. Some of the popular Hindu temples located here are Banke Bihari Mandir, Shri Krishna Balaram Mandir, Prem Mandir, Nidhivan Temple, etc.

4. Gokul, Uttar Pradesh

Lord Krishna spent his entire childhood in Gokul. When he was born in Mathura, his father Vasudev took him to Gokul to save him from Kansa. This city is in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh. The city is a unique amalgamation of culture, tradition, and devotion.

The most interesting fact about Gokul is that the people living here celebrate Janmashtami a day after the birth date of Shri Krishna. The reason for this is that Krishna was brought to Gokul after being born in Mathura at midnight. Therefore, they celebrate Krishna’s arrival at Gokul as his birthday.

5. Udupi, Karnataka

Udupi is a holy city situated in Karnataka which is quite famous for its mythological Hindu temples. Along with being surrounded by eight monasteries, this place has a number of holy temples of Shri Krishna.

This place is always full of devotees. And this time too, millions of Krishna devotees and pilgrims can visit Udupi to experience the huge celebration of Janmashtami 2021.