| Learn how Janmashtami is
celebrated in various states of India. West Bengal In West Bengal, Janmashtami is celebrated with great enthusiasm and festive celebrations are replete with the performance of religious customs as mentioned in the sacred Hindu scriptures. Here the occassion is famously known as 'Gupt Vrindavan'("Gupt" meaning "Secret"), a name that alludes to the fact that Lord Krishna spent time in Vrindavan in divine enjoyment with his consort, Radha. Radha, a married woman, is said to be actually an incarnate of Goddess Lakshmi (the wife of Lord Vishnu) and her bond with Lord Krishna (also an incarnate of Lord Vishnu) was of pure love, a relationship that was misunderstood by the wordly people. Hence any meeting that the lord had with his consort was in secrecy. Such episodes of the Lord's life, from his childhood days to adult stage, is beautifully represented in wood or clay in the form of tableaus. The creation and decoration of the tableaus is made by skilled workers and is started several days in advance of the actual occassion. On the actual Janmashtami day, beautiful tableau processions are taken out to the accompaniment of the sound of ringing bells, blowing conch shells and chatting of the Lord's name. Special dramatic performances known as "Rasila" are performed in various temples dedicated to Lord Krishna to showcase various events from his life, especially highlighting his divine love for Radha and his other playmates. In individual homes, women cook up special dishes and offer to the Lord as well as perform worship services in his honour. It is a time that witnesses the worship not only of Lord Krishna but every other form of Lord Vishnu such as Lord Ayyapa and Lord Narayana. At night, special Janmashtami puja is performed at many Bengali homes as well as in the temples of the state. In Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal, the festival sees idol worship and special functions being organised in every Krishna temple, especially the ones managed by ISKCON. A grand attraction during Janmashtami is the jhoolan celebration which has idols of baby Lord Krishna being put on swings and rocked for the whole day. Singers, most of them linked with temples, sing devotional bhajans and songs known as "kirtan" which are listened to by a large number of people all of whom are served a special dish consisting of 56 items known as ‘chappan bhog’. Dwarka Also known as "The City of Gold", Dwarka is located in the state of Gujarat and is believed to be the city that he and his brother Balram had established and settled in for a long long time before leaving Mathura. Hence, the identity of Dwarka is inseparable from Lord Krishna and Janmashtami holds great importance for the people of Dwarka. The festival is observed here with great fervor. In the early morning hours of Janmashtami, a ‘mangla aarti' (beneficient worship) is performed in almost every temple of Dwarka. The cleaning of the idol of the Lord is then performed and only after it has been decorated and properly installed are the devotees able to pay a visit to the divine. A special dish known as ‘Banta Bhog' and food items made of milk are served to the Lord. The Lord is also given some time to "sleep" in the evening. The Dwarkadheesh temple in Dwarka is highly famous for its grand and enormous Janmashtami celebration and is visited by pious devotees from all over the country. Though Janmashtami is observed in the city only during the month of Shravana, the Aboti Brahmins of the city are well known for the fact that they perform the routine of the Janmashtami pooja on a daily basis. It is known as ‘nitya karm' of the Lord. Mathura Mathura, situated about 150 kms from Delhi (the Indian capital), is believed to be the birth place of Lord Krishna and Janmashtami is naturally an event of special significance for the people of the city. The festival is celebrated at its grandest in this place. The highlight of the Janmashtami festivities in Mathura is the "Krishna Janma Bhoomi Mandir", a grand temple that is believed to have been erected at the exact site where Lord Krishna was born. People from all over India as well as abroad throng this temple during the two days of Janmashtami with the result that Mathura becomes a major tourist spot during this festival. The main attraction of the temple is the place known as the ‘Garbha Griha’, where the idol of Lord Krishna has been kept. The entire day has devotees observing a strict fast, breaking it only at midnight after the hour when the Lord is supposed to have taken birth. They sing songs and hyms in praise of the the Lord and chanting his different names as a mark of respect and as a rite of self-purification. Special tableaus known as ‘jhankis’ are created during this time to recreate various incidents from the childhood of the Lord. Delhi The celebration of Janmashtami goes back a long time in the history of old Delhi and many believe that the observance of the festival started from the period of rule of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. The great prosperity that the emperor's reign brought saw many astrologers, moneylenders and tradesmen coming from different regions and settling down in Delhi, especially near Chandni Chowk. As a consequence, many mosques as well as temples had been built and Janmashtami began to be celebrated in a grander way. Even in present times, Janmashtami continues to be celebrated with great zest in Delhi. Thousands of devotees wake up early on the Janmashtami day, take a bath and pay a visit to their nearest temples to decorate the temples, bathe the idol of the Lord and perform special puja before him during the occassion. They offer a special dish "bhog" before the idol and offer their prayers. The celebrations are almost of a similar nature at individual houses which are beautifully decorated for the festival with colourful bands, streamers and other decorative items. Small idols of the baby Lord are also purchased during this time and rocked for the entire day in the cradle. Conches are blown at the midnight hour to mark the hour of the Lord's birth approximately five thousand years ago. |
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