HinduOFUniverse

                                                                           

• ISKCON Temples in Delhi, Bangalore, West Bengal and U.P.

• Krishna Janma Bhoomi Mandir, Mathura

• Banke Bihari Mandir, Vrindavan

• Guruvayur Temple, Kerala

• Udupi Sri Krishna Temple, Karnataka

• Jagannath Temple, Puri, Orissa

• Dwarkadhish Temple, Gujarat

Legend of Janmashtami
The birth story of Lord Krishna is full of dramatic events.

In the ancient Northern India a very flourished town called Mahtura was ruled by a great Yaduvanshi King Ugrasen. He had two children a son Kansa and a daughter named Devki. Kansa was so rude and cruel, that he forcefully became the king of Mathura by confining his father to the jail.

Being a brutal King, Kansa also had lots of love for his sister Devki and married her off to Vasudev, one of the high ranking officer in his army. On their marriage a heavenly prediction echoed that the eight child of Devki would be the slayer of Kansa. Feared by the prediction Kansa imprisoned Devki and Vasudev in the palace dungeon and ordered them to handover all their children to him.

Kansa killed all the six new borns but could not kill the seventh child due to the divine intervention because that baby was born to Vasudev’s another wife Rohini. Thus Balram, the elder brother of Krishna was born.

However, when the eighth child was born, a miracle occurred. The gates of the dungeon flew open, the guards fell asleep and a voice from the heavens commanded Vasudev to take his child to Gokul where his friend Nand and his wife Yashodha lived and exchange his son for their daughter. Thus, Kansa's plan to kill Krishna was foiled and This eighth child grew up as Yashoda and Nand’s son in Gokul and later killed his maternal uncle Kansa, freeing all the people of Mathura from his atrocities.

Significance of Janmashtami
Krishna means the most attractive. He is the divinity, the energy, that pulls everything to it. Janamashtami, commemorates the birth of Lord Krishna, born to destroy Kansa, the evil king of Mathura. Thus, birthday of Lord Krishna holds much significance in India and celebrated in different forms. This festival offers an occasion for social get together and exchange of good wishes. Devotees observes fasts and indulge themselves in pooja ceremonies. The fast signifies the controlling of the senses and indulging themselves in activities that takes them to the divine enlightenment and destroys the ego within.