Krishna Janmashtami is celebrated to mark the birth of Lord Krishna.
Every year, the festival of Janmashtami is celebrated by Hindus to mark the birth of Lord Krishna, who is believed to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
According to the Hindu calendar, Lord Krishna was born on the eighth day of the month of Bhadra. According to the western calendar, this day mostly falls in the months of August or September. The festival of Janmashtami is celebrated by worshiping Lord Krishna, with beautifully decorated swings, dance and music performances and Dahi Handi competition.
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Many state governments declare holidays for schools and other institutions on the occasion of Janmashtami, but there are some government institutions that remain operational. Private schools also follow the orders issued by the respective state government and announce their schedule accordingly. A holiday has been declared in private schools of Uttar Pradesh on Friday (August 19) on Janmashtami. There is also a holiday in government schools in Himachal Pradesh.
The direction of declaring Janmashtami as a public holiday varies from state to state. Various state governments like Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh have not declared Janmashtami as a public holiday. However, schools and colleges in Kerala’s Nilgiris will remain closed as the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of heavy rain in the Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Dindigul and Tiruppur districts.
When it comes to bank holidays, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) calendar shows branches in Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chennai, Dehradun, Gangtok, Jaipur, Jammu, Kanpur, Lucknow, Patna, Raipur, Ranchi, Shillong, Shimla and Srinagar Is. Tomorrow will be closed.
RBI notifies holidays under three categories – Negotiable Instruments Act, holidays, real time gross settlement holidays and closure of accounts of banks.
Birth of Lord Krishna
Lord Krishna is said to have been born in a dungeon in present-day Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. He was born at midnight to Queen Devaki and King Vasudeva. Therefore, according to tradition, Krishna Janmashtami Puja is performed in the Nishita period, which is around midnight.
History and Significance of Janmashtami
According to the belief, Kansa, the brother of Queen Devaki, had heard a prophecy that Lord Krishna was born to destroy her. Thus, Kansa tried to kill the infant Krishna, but before he could do so, Krishna was sent safely out of the dark dungeon. King Vasudeva crossed the Yamuna river carrying Krishna on his head in a basket and provided him with a safe haven in Gokul.
Read also | Date, Time and Significance of Krishna Janmashtami
In the Mahabharata, the most widely recognized description of Lord Krishna as Arjuna’s charioteer during the Kurukshetra war. He upheld Arjuna’s allegiance to Dharma.
Since Lord Krishna is considered to be the protector of Dharma and the destroyer of unrighteousness, his birth is celebrated across the country on Janmashtami.
The day of Krishna Janmashtami celebrates the love, warmth and beauty that Lord Krishna represents.