krishna janmashtami celebration

Now the breaking of the handis has become more of a social political event. Most of the political parties keep rewards upon the breaking of the Handis which is moving the essence of this festival from heartily zeal towards money.In some places the whole event is organized by the political parties. Due to all this the whole charm of the festival is fading.

Janmashtami is one such festival that is celebrated equally in North and South India. Preparations for the same start weeks in advance. Different parts of the country celebrate the festival differently. In South India, the celebrations are most prevalent in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. In both the places, the idol of Lord Krishna is placed in a decorated mantapa. Bhakshanam (snacks and sweets in Sanskrit), are specially prepared for the festival, and offered to Lord Krishna. Along with it, fruits that are his favorites are also offered. In some parts of Karnataka, chakli, avalakki and bellada panaka are prepared especially for the festival. In North India, celebrations are no less than being called extravagant and splendid. While Gokul and Vridnavan (Lord birth and growing up place) witness flocks of visitors coming to the place to celebrate the festival at Krishna janamabhoomi, the other parts organize different events and practice different rituals to mark the occasion.
In the cities of Mumbai and Pune, dahi handi is organized wherein a group of men form human pyramid to reach a high hanging pot of butter and break it. In the city of Dwarka in Gujarat and the eastern states of Orissa and West Bengal, people celebrate it with fasting and doing puja at midnight. Though the rituals practiced vary from one region to the other, the spirit and devotion to the Lord is same everywhere. Thus, it wouldn't be wrong to say that Krishna is the most loved and celebrated God in India.

The home should be clearned and decorate it with flowers and other items. You should pay particular attention to the puja ghar and also the kitchen and the drawing room. The other items that you can use to decorate are the idols and sculptures of Lord Krishna.

Put the idol of baby Krishna in a cradle and decorate it with flowers and jewels. You can blow the conches at midnight to symbolize the birth hour of Lord Krishna . Further, the deity is invoked by offering milk products in addition to flowers.

Decorating your home for Krishna can be fun, particularly for children. Encourage them in helping to make garlands, hanging balloons and festoons of leaves, and generally making the house beautiful for Krishna appearance. In some parts of India, this is also a occassion to run a contest for most beautiful decoration of house or temples.

Krishna Janmashtami is a very important Hindu festival celebrated in India. It is the festival marking the birth of Lord Krishna. Here how to celebrate Krishna Janmashtami in office.

Buy the idol of Bal Gopalji (the Lord Krishna as a small infant).
Buy the clothes and other decorative accessories like flute, crown, earrings, necklaces and peacock feathers.

Make someone bring flowers, oil, incense sticks and leaves for decorating the area while you are installing the swinging throne of the Lord.

Get some sweets and fruits. These are meant for offering the Lord Krishna and to be distributed to all employees of the office.

Select the top of the table present in the office for the entire arrangement.

This ritual is followed in the cities of Mumbai, Pune, Dwarka, Vrinavan and Mathura. In Mumbai & Pune this ritual is also called dahi handi and is celebrated with a lot of zeal & vigor. Handi means a claypot and dahi means buttermilk. so, a claypot is filled with buttermilk and tied high up. Young boys form a human pyramid. The boy on top of the pyramid is supposed to break the handi with a coconut, as coconut is considered a pure object.In Mumbai & Pune, groups of young boys called Govinda Pathaks, roam around the their localities with a view to break these handis that are tied up at various places. Prizes in cash and kind are also offered by local communities to those who break these handis.

It is well known that Lord Krishna was fond of Radha and her sakhis (female friends), called Gopis (girl cow herds)Raas Leela is a popular form of folk theatre depicting the favorite pastime of Lord Krishna where he dances with Radha and the Gopis. Krishna used to play the flute while Radha and the Gopis danced around him.The ritual of raas leela is especially seen in Vrindavan and these dramatic enactments start much ahead of Janashtami. Colorful costumes are worn by the actors with colorful backgrounds and musical accompaniments.

If you are able to fast from food, fasting until midnight is recommended. If fasting is too difficult, then try to eat only light foods during the day. By putting our own needs aside and concentrating more on Krishna, we show our love for him.

Krishna Janmashtami each year, since thousands of years has been reminding us to celebrate the historical, the divine and the adorable Lord Sri Krishna along with the timeless and invaluable knowledge He gave us through his life and the divine Bhagavad Gita.Lord Sri Krishna was inexplicably attractive and enthralling. There are countless fascinating stories to direct that the Divine is attractive. This is so that the little attractions that the mind longs for are freed and that is why he is called Man Mohana. The Taste of love hooks you on to the infinity, to the Divinity and intoxicates you. The power of the cosmos with the knowledge brings not only stability but also infinite bliss in life.Krishna always stands with absolutely unflinching perfect balance with one foot firmly on the ground, the other foot crossed over,seemingly touching the ground, but in reality it doesnt. Life is all about balance. Through various stages of His life Lord Sri Krishna shows all His devotees how to balance materialism and spirituality. He ruled the country, advised as minister and gave the highest form knowledge to Arjuna and Uddhava. Hence the most authentic way of celebrating Janamashtami is knowing that you have to play a dual role of being a responsible human being on the planet and at the same time to realize that you are above all events, the untouched Brahman. This could perhaps be the secret of Krishna forever lovely, divine and the all knowledgeable smile, even though his life was fraught with troubles since His birthImbibing a bit of avadhoot and a bit of activity in your life is the real significance of celebrating Janamashtami.On the auspicious occasion of Sri Krishna Janamashtami, let us imbibe all His values in our lives and make ours as well as others lives better.