The diversity of India brings out the best of all the religions, cultures, traditions, and festivals. One of the most popularly celebrated festivals in the Hindu religion is Janmashtami. Marking the birth of Lord Krishna, who is also known as the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu, the festival celebrates the Hindu religion.
Lord Krishna, known for being mischievous all his childhood is celebrated for his wisdom as per the holy Hindu scripture, Bhagavad Gita. This year, Janmashtami falls on an auspicious Monday, August 26th, 2024. Read on to know more about the exact time, significance and the traditional dishes of the festival.
Date And Time Of Janmashtami
The date of Janmashtami varies each year as per the Hindu calendar. In 2024, the festival is to be celebrated on the 26th of August, Monday. The exact timings of Ashtami Tithi start from 3:39 AM on August 26 and continue till Ashtami Tithi ends at 2:19 AM on August 27. The popular ritual of Dahi Handi is to be observed on the 27th of August, 2024.
Significance Of Celebrating Janmashtami
Janmashtami has a rich history which dates back to the birth of Lord Krishna. Known for being a notorious child, the festival is observed through a ritual of Dahi Handi where a group of children make a pyramid to reach an earthen pot filled with makhan (white butter). Coming to Lord Krishna’s later life, many traditions include fasting, enacting scenes from “Rasa Lila,” and singing devotional songs.
Since Lord Krishna was born in Mathura and was raised in Vrindavan, the cities celebrate Janmashtami with unmatched enthusiasm. Not only do they decorate their homes and prayer rooms (mandir), but people also make traditional dishes that are known to be the favourites of Lord Krishna. Some of the traditional dishes savoured during Janmashtami are mentioned as follows.
Janmashtami-Special Dishes
Makhan Mishri
Since Lord Krishna was known as “Makhan Chor” by his mother and villagers, Makhan Mishri is one of the most famous dishes during Janmashtami. Just the way it must have been made back then, people churn white butter with sugar to make a creamy butter-like texture. Makhan Mishri is used to prepare bhog for Lord Krishna as well as prasad for the devotees.
Panjiri
Gopalkala
Another popular name for Lord Krishna is Gopal. To celebrate Janmashtami, Gopalkala which is basically poha, but instead of the usual spices, is made with curd and cucumber. After years of variations, in many homes, Gopalkala also features an indulgent tampering made with mustard seeds, coconut, and curry leaves.
Kheer
Kheer is another popular Indian dessert that is made in almost all parts of the country but has different regional names like Payasam, Payesh, Ksheeram, Doodhpak, etc. The simple yet utterly delicious can be made by simmering milk, rice, and sugar. Usually garnished with a generous amount of chopped dry fruits, kheer is a super indulgent dessert served for Janmashtami.
Laddoo
Apart from being the popular Indian sweet, Laddoo is also a cute nickname given to Lord Krishna. The beauty of laddoos is that they beautifully cover so many variations like the orange-coloured motichoor laddoo, warm besan laddoo, the melt-in-mouth coconut laddoo, and so on. To celebrate Janmashtami, you can take your pick and make your favourite laddoos.