Best Places to Celebrate Krishna Janmashtami in India - by Arko Deep - CollectLo

Best Places to Celebrate Krishna Janmashtami in India

Arko Deep - CollectLo

Arko Deep

Content Writer

7 min read . Aug 27

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India is a country of festival, where many vibrant festivals are celebrated. 'Janmashtami' is one among them as many people around the world come to India to see and enjoy this festival. Whether you are here for spiritual gain or just for the cultural exposure, 'Krishna Janmashtami is an all-in-one festival that can be seen and enjoyed at least once in a lifetime. The day we celebrate this festival on, is not an ordinary day; it’s the day when Lord Krishna was born. People in India have been celebrating this occasion since years now.

Mathura and Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh

As Krishna Janmashtami nears, the ancient city of Mathura comes alive, its narrow streets flowing with marigold strings and fairy lights, reverberating with bhajans and the chant of “Hare Krishna, Hare Rama.” The air, thick with the fragrance of incense, dances with the sweet aroma of temple offerings, as if the gods themselves are savouring the devotion. At midnight, the Krishna Janmabhoomi Temple falls into a sanctified silence. Priests pour milk, curd, honey and ghee on the idol – an offering representing purity and prosperity – while devotees gaze at their precious god draped in silks and gems in the flickering moonlight or candlelight.

A stone’s throw away, Vrindavan is a living stage of divine playfulness, where temples resound with the laughter and frolic of Krishna’s childhood. Grand Raslila performances take place, as accomplished artists enact episodes from the life of Krishna – his youthful pranks and his eternal love for Radha. The Banke Bihari Temple, bedecked with flowers and exquisite rangoli designs, becomes the throbbing epicentre of all celebrations. Children, as tiny Krishnas and Radhas walk in processions through the streets when the entire town seems to bathe in an ethereal light of pure love and devotion.

 - by Arko Deep - CollectLo

Gokul, Uttar Pradesh

Gokul is the magical land, where Lord Krishna was brought up by his foster mother, Yashoda, and his foster father, Nanda. At Janmashtami in the magical hamlet of Gokul, where every gust of wind carries echoes of little Krishna's laughter-filled childhood, the festival is celebrated with an ethereal quality. At dawn, Gokul’s narrow lanes are strung with colourful buntings and fresh flowers; their fragrance mingles with the earthy scent of the village. Village walls—whether of houses or temples—are elaborately painted with murals that tell stories of Krishna’s playful exploits in bright colours.

As evening approaches, the heart of Gokul pulses with excitement. The villagers gather in local temples; simple rituals unfold here. The deity of 'Bal Gopal'—Krishna as a child—goes through a tender bath in milk and gets clothed in small, resplendent garments reminiscent of the good old days of cowherd mischief.

In the twilight hour, the village turns into an open-air theatre as Raslila, where the love–dramas of Lord Krishna’s life are recited through the eyes, voice and expression of local artists. Folk songs and devotional hymns waft through the night as villagers holding oil lamps throng temples to offer their prayers. In Gokul, Janmashtami is a time when the divine past becomes a living, breathing presence, celebrated with the simplicity and warmth that only a village steeped in devotion can offer.

 - by Arko Deep - CollectLo

Dwarka, Gujarat

Dwarka believed to have been the kingdom of Lord Krishna after leaving Mathura. In the holy city of Dwarka, where the Arabian sea murmurs tales of Lord Krishna’s kingdom, Janmashtami is celebrated with a royal touch. As the golden sun sets in the horizon, the city drenched in hues of oranges and pinks gets charged up spiritually. The main Dwarkadhish Temple situated on banks of river Gomti gets covered in an array of beautiful garlands made up marigold and jasmine while its spires make for a spectacular sight against the dim-lit evening sky.

The streets of Dwarka are found flooded with processions of vibrantly decorated palanquins of Lord Krishna, where the participants carry them across the town. Colorfully costumed folk dancers dance to the frenzy beats of 'dhol' and 'santoor,' resounding amidst every nook and corner of the city. Janmashtami, in Dwarka, is an imperial offering to that great king who once ruled the city—every nook of which spoke with the vibrations of his divine presence.

 - by Arko Deep - CollectLo

Udupi, Karnataka

Ahead on the Arabian Sea, the Sri Krishna Matha in Udupi readies up with devotion and gaiety to celebrate the Krishna Janmashtami. Just a few days before the festival, an ancient temple of Sri Krishna Matha alight with rich traditions and centuries of devotion glows with lights and colours. The temple’s ancient stone walls, adorned with garlands of fresh 'jasmine' and 'tulsi, seem to pulse with the divine energy of the occasion.

As the day progresses, the courtyard of the temple fills with sounds of bhajans and kirtans that are hard to miss, for they seem to echo above the town and float on the salted wind. The procession that snakes its way through Udupi is accompanied by a constant state of song brought out in joyous devotion by thousands of ordinary men and women who join in. Traditional ‘Yakshagana’ performances bring to life the tales of Krishna, captivating onlookers with their vibrant costumes and dynamic storytelling. As dusk draws in, oil lamps gently light up dark spaces and fill it with scent as evening prayers begin. In Udupi, Janmashtami is a celebration where the divine and the earthly dance together in harmonious devotion, weaving a tapestry of spiritual fervour and cultural richness.

 - by Arko Deep - CollectLo

Mumbai, Maharashtra

Mumbai is famous for its 'Dahi Handi' celebrations, which are an essential part of Janmashtami. The festival is celebrated in a big way here and if there was one place where the ambiance of spirituality mixes perfectly with the pulse racing thrill of the urban spirit; it would be in a Dahi Handi celebration. In every neighbourhood, human pyramids soar into the sky as boys and girls, called ‘Govindas’, stand on each other’s shoulders to reach an earthen pot filled with curd tied high above on a rope. “Govinda Ala Re!” the crowd shouts as they playfully recreate Krishna’s favourite thing to do as a child — steal butter. And then the pot breaks and the curd spills over the pyramid, while flower petals rain down from above.

 - by Arko Deep - CollectLo

Nathdwara, Rajasthan

Nathdwara is known for the Shrinathji Temple, dedicated to a form of Lord Krishna. Krishna Janmashtami, for Nathdwara in Rajasthan, is truly a unique blend of devotion, artistry, and celebration. As the birthplace of the Srinathji temple, Nathdwara turns into a spiritual oasis where the air reverberates with the sound of the 'bhajans' and the fragrance of incense. The intricately 'rangoli'- and garland-adorned temple becomes the heart of the celebrations.

At the midnight hour, when Krishna was born, the idol of Baby Krishna or 'Laddu Gopal' is bathed into ceremonial milk bath and then decked up with exquisite silks and jewels. Children dressed as 'Radha' and 'Krishna' simply look adorable whereas the 'Raas Leela' dance performance take you to the flashback of some chapter from Krishna’s life. Temple serves out a lot of sweets like 'Makhan Mishri' on this day. In Nathdwara, Krishna Janmashtami is more than an event; it is a delightful submersion in divinity that epitomizes amour for God.

 - by Arko Deep - CollectLo

Puri, Odisha

Jagannath Temple Puri is one of the holiest places in India where Lord Krishna is worshipped. Krishna Janmashtami in Puri is celebrated with such an intense devotion and cultural richness that it reveals Puri’s age-old religious air. The 'Jagannath Temple', which houses one of the ‘Char Dhams’ of Hinduism, attracts devotees from every far and wide of this country on this day. Holy scriptures like the ‘Bhagavad Gita’ and ‘Srimad Bhagavatam’ are chanted all day long immersing the devotees in the divine ‘leelas’ of Shri Krishna. The priests perform a number of ‘maha-aartis’ and rituals after a majestic bath to sanctify Shri Krishna as well as 'Lord Jagannath'. Exquisitely designed silk clothes, jewels and garlands deck up both 'Krishna' and 'Jagannath' signifying Lord’s royalty. The evening sees grand processions, with devotees carrying intricately decorated chariots and singing 'bhajans' in praise of 'Lord Krishna'. The air is filled with the aroma of ‘Chappan Bhog,’ a lavish offering of 56 delicacies, prepared for the deity.

 - by Arko Deep - CollectLo

For people, 'Janmashtami' does not merely signify a festival, but rather a way of living based on faith, devotion, and teachings of Lord Krishna. Whether it is the decoration of the temple, the wealthy midnight ceremony, or the simple feast with their family, 'Janmashtami' binds people together in one rope with happy feelings and love for God. It is where the mundane meets the divine, and the chant of 'Jai Shri Krishna' can be heard in every nook and corner of the country.

Sources

https://www.indiatoday.in/information/story/janmashtami-getaways-best-places-to-celebrate-janmashtami-in-india-2432159-2023-09-07

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https://www.livemint.com/news/trends/happy-janmashtami-2024-date-time-significance-of-dahi-handi-festival-everything-you-need-to-know-11724564551383.html

https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/soul-search/happy-janmashtami-2024-significance-of-dahi-handi-celebration-during-janmashtami/articleshow/112779209.cms

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https://www.business-standard.com/india-news/janmashtami-2024-top-5-places-to-visit-in-india-during-the-festival-124082300374_1.html