All About Janmashtami – History, Tradition, and Food
Janmashtami, also known as Gokulashtami, is a Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna. This festival is celebrated in full galore every year, including traditional practices like singing songs, forming a human pyramid and breaking the matki, and inviting people over for a feast.
This blog will help you look at the festival closely and understand its significance.
History
Lord Krishna was born on the eighth (Ashtami) day of the dark fortnight in the Hindu month of Bhadrapada. Krishna was born in Mathura, a city ruled by the evil King Kansa. During his birth, the city of Mathura was an area of chaos, hostility and people lived under the fear of their evil King Kansa.
Lord Krishna’s birth mother, Princess Devaki, was King Kansa’s sister, married to Vasudeva. However, after their wedding, a prophecy said that the couple’s eighth son would destroy King Kansa.
As a result, Kansa imprisoned his sister Devaki and his brother-in-law Vasudev right after their marriage and got their first six children killed. However, at the birth of their seventh child, Balram, it is believed that the fetus mystically got transferred into the womb of Princess Rohini. Finally, as their eighth child, baby Krishna was born, Vasudeva managed to rescue the baby with the help of Nand Baba and Yashodha in Vrindavan.
To calm the evil king, Vasudeva handed over a baby girl as his eighth child to Kansa. But when he attempted to kill the baby girl, she transformed into Goddess Durg, who warned him about the forthcoming doom.
Significance
In the Hindu Holy Book, Bhagavad Gita says that whenever evil predominates and there’s a decline in religion, God himself will reincarnate to kill the evil and restore humanity and goodness.
Janmashtami is an example of this saying. During the rule of King Kansa, evil practices were at their extremes. Hence, Vishu (Hindu God) reincarnated as Lord Krishna to destroy the evil from the world and spread the message of love, peace, and harmony.
Dwaraka, the land of purity!
The festival is celebrated across India but widely celebrated in Mathura – the birthplace of Krishna, Vrindavan – the place where he grew up, and in Dwaraka – a legendary capital of Krishna’s kingdom.
These cities are considered pure, and it is believed that the presence of Lord Krishna here has washed away all the impurities and evil from these places.
Similarly, we at Dwaraka Organic take inspiration from the purity and authenticity of the auspicious place, Dwaraka, and maintain the same purity and goodness in all our products.
As we firmly believe that a pure soul is derived from a clean body, we are committed to delivering GMO-free, chemical-free, pesticide-free,100% natural food ingredients.
Janmashtami Celebrations
Lord Krishna is an icon of peace, love, and harmony. To respect the Lord and celebrate his birth, temples and homes are decorated. Moreover, people also fast on this day as it is quite auspicious.
Toddlers and infants are dressed like Lord Krishna with the belief that their children will be blessed with the goodness and purity of Krishna. People also perform small skits enacting the life of the baby and adult Krishna.
Talking about food, Janmashtami feast includes sweets, snacks, and more.
Generally, offerings to the lord include traditional food items like Gur Ki Kheer, Dahi Kala, Sweet Potato Kheer, and Ladoos.
Apart from these offerings, there are some particular foods consumed during Janmashtami fasting. People prefer eating satvik foods like sabudana khichdi, sabudana vadas, or sabudana kheer.
Moreover, there are many holy gatherings at community halls that celebrate Janmashtami with a community feast called ‘Langar’. This langar may include simple foods like dal, rice, potato sabzi, and pooris, followed by kheer or ladoos for dessert.
So, this Janmashtami, if you are planning to host a holy gathering or just a festive get-together with your loved ones. Whip up the below-mentioned delicacies and wow your guests with a lip-smacking feast.
Try these simple recipes and get praised for your festive meal. Make sure you use Dwaraka Organic products to increase the authenticity and flavor of each dish. We wish you and your loved ones a Happy Janmashtami and hope that Janmashtami 2021 takes away evil and brings love and happiness to our lives.
