Essay on “Janmashtami” Hindu Festival
Janmashtami is the celebration of the birth of Lord Krishna. It falls on the eighth day of the Krishna Paksha in the month of Bhadra. It is celebrated with great gaiety and fervour in the northern states, especially Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra.
According to the legend, Lord Krishna was the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu. Lord Krishna was the eighth son of Devaki and Vasudeva. When Devaki’s brother Kansa was taking her to her husband’s place after her marriage, an oracle from the skies announced that Devaki’s eighth child would cause Kansa’s death. On the birth of the eighth child, the prison doors opened themselves and the guards fell asleep, Vasudev took the newborn child to Gokul. Here he was brought up by Nanda and Yashoda. Later Krishna became the killer of Kansa.
Janmashtami is celebrated with great devotion. Temples are decorated with tableaus depicting scenes of Krishna’s birth and the various events in his life. Cultural events like Krishna Leela are also organized.
