Janmashtami Festival Tour

Janmashtami is the festival of the birth of Lord Krishna and is celebrated with great loyalty in the month of August or September in the whole of north India. Temples and homes are beautifully decorated and drama depicting stories of Lord Krishna's childhood are played. Every temple has five main jhankis of Janmashtami which portray the entire series of events from Lord Krishna's birth to his being discovered in Gokul.

They include the birth of Krishna in jail, Vasudev his father carrying Krishna across the river Yamuna under rain and lightning to Gokul. Jhankis are made out of dolls dressed up as kids, men and women with lehangas, dhotis & kurtis. Raslila is performed in each temple. The priest sings the bhajans which end at midnight, and r aarti is done, Prasad is distributed among the devotees and flowers are showered on the idol.

The priests chant holy mantras and bathe the idol with Ganga Jal. People break their daylong fast only after the ceremony is over. People fast all day and eat only after the midnight birth ceremony. The image of the baby Krishna is placed on a swing and bathed with charanamrit. Delicacies are made from milk and curds that Krishna used to love.