The festival of Janmashtmi is celebrated in the month of
Shravan, eight days after the full moon to celebrate the birthday of Lord Krishna. Lord
Krishna was born to proud parents Devaki and Vasudeva. He is believed to have been born at
midnight in a prison in Mathura. It was none other than Devaki's own brother Kans who had
imprisoned Lord Krishna's parents at the time of his birth because it had been predicted
that the eight child of Devaki and Vasudeva would kill Kans. However, the night when
Krishna was born, there was a severe storm and somehow Vasudeva managed to take Lord
Krishna across the raging Yamuna river to the town of Gokul. Once in Gokul, Lord Krishna
was brought up under the care of Yashodha and Nand.
At the time of Janmashtmi, temples are decorated very beautifully and prayers are offered
at midnight. An idol of Lord Krishna is prepared and placed in a cradle in the temple and
the cradle is then gently rocked. People sing bhajans all night long and an aarti is
performed.
In many parts of the country Raas Leela performances take place and people enact incidents
from lord Krishna's life - childhood scenes when he was a mischievous boy as well as his
acts of bravery. In Maharashtra particularly, the story of Lord Krishna stealing Butter
from pots is enacted beautifully. Between two buildings or two poles earthen pots filled
with milk, butter, fruits and money are hung. Groups of people form a human pyramid to
reach up to the pots and break them to obtain their contents. Many times, these people
have to make several attempts to reach the pot, because they are often tied at huge
heights. People who are watching their attempts in the neighborhood through buckets of
water on these men who are trying to break the pots. Once the pot is broken, there is loud
cheering from all the people who have participated as well as those who are watching.
