INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Janmashtami is just around the corner and Hindus across the country are gearing up for the festivities
This year Janmashtami would be celebrated on 2nd September 2018
The festival celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna, the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu on earth
According to Hindu mythology, whenever earth is wrought by cruelty and misery, Lord Vishnu descends upon earth in one of his humanly avatars
Lord Krishna took birth in Mathura to Devaki and Vasudeva to kill his cruel uncle Kansa
The moment he was born, Vasudeva carried him on his head to Vrindavan and left little Krishna in the care of his friend Yashoda and Nanda in
Kansa was a cruel king who had kept his sister Devaki and brother-in law Vasudev in his cell
It was prophesied on their wedding day that their eighth son would be the reason of his death
He started killing all their sons, but Krishna escaped his murderous ire
in Vrindavan, Krishna and his group of friend were renowned for their playful activities and pranks that they would play on everyone in
Did you know that little Krishna was also called 'Makhan Chor' (butter thief)
He loved white butter so much that he would often steal all of it that Yashoda would make at home
Despite his pranks, Krishna was a favourite of everybody in the neighbourhood
One time, he saved his entire town from the torrential rains by lifting mount Govardhan on his little finger
The episode is one of the most loved legends of Hindu mythology and is also tied with the famous practice of offering lord Krishna 56 types
of prasads, also called 'chappan bhog'
'Chappan' in Hindi means 56
Devotees prepare 56 types of different prasads and offer it to their beloved deity on occasions like Janmashtami and Govardhan puja
lavish meals to Lord Indra - the God of rain and storm - to make sure he is pleased enough to bless them with timely rainfall and good
Little Krishna found the practice to be a little harsh for the poor farmers
He convinced the entire village to stop making these offerings to Lord Indra and look after themselves
Angered by the lack of food offered, Lord Indra triggered massive rainfall and thunderstorm in Vrindavan
The storm continued for days, the houses were flooded, people were stuck
Fearing for their lives, the villagers approached little Krishna for help, who then asked everyone to proceed to the Govardhan hill
Once everyone was there, he lifted the whole hill with his little finger, and everyone came under the hill to take shelter from the rains
He did not move anywhere and didn't consume a single grain of food
Ultimately, Lord Indra had to stop the rains in Vrindavan
It is said Lord Krishna used to have eight meals in a day
Date, Time, Muhurat, Significance And Feast During Krishna Janmashtmi)Janmashtami is one of the major festivals in the Indian calendar and
Hindus consider this day auspicious
Some of the devotees wake up early and start preparing for the bhog right in the morning
Chappan bhog is a mix of cereal, fruits, dry fruits, sweets, drinks, namkeen and pickles
Some of the common items found in the chappan bhog are makhan mishri, kheer, rasgulla, jeera ladoo, jalebi, rabri, mathri, malpua,
mohanbhog, chutney, murabba, saag, dahi, rice, dal, kadi, ghewar, chila, papad, moong dal ka halwa, pakoda, khichadi, brinjal ka sabji,
lauki ka sabji, poori, badam milk, tikkis, cashews, almonds, pistachios and elaichi among others
They are all arranged in a particular sequence, milk items are placed first, followed by salty items, and sweets in the end.Here's wishing
you all a very happy Janmashtami 2018!
