Janmashtami is round the corner and in these rather gloomy days when we all are hoping for better times soon, some happy moments to look forward to for many of us. The celebrations may be muted this year but Lord Krishna would surely travel to town and be in our homes. And our heart. Lock-down or no lock-down.
Krishna is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshiped as the eighth avatar of the god Vishnu and also as the supreme God in his own right. He is the god of compassion, tenderness, love and is one of the most widely revered among Indian divinities. Lord Krishna’s birthday is celebrated as Janmashtami. Also called Krishnashtami, this happy festival is enjoyed with great fanfare throughout India and many places overseas.
However there are some special destinations which have a very strong connection with Lord Krishna and it is here that the festival is celebrated in truly grand fashion. Each of these towns have beautiful temples dedicated to Sri Krishna.
On the eve of Janmashtami, these temples are beautifully lit and decorated. Interesting events such as Dahi Handi (Curd Pot) breaking competition, skits performed by children and elders along with Bhajans and dance make the occasion completely festive.
One very interesting aspect of Sri Krishna’s life was that his travel journeys started very early and in fact within a few days of his being born.
Lord Krishna’s Journey in Life
As per the legends, Lord Krishna was born after his parents Mata Devaki & Vasudeva were imprisoned in a prison of Mathura by his evil maternal uncle Kansa. His father managed to smuggle the newborn out of the prison as his life was under threat from his uncle Kansa and sent him to his friends Nand and Yashoda. Sri Krishna spent his early childhood with his foster parents in a town called Gokul.
Since Mathura in the state of Uttar Pradesh of India is the birthplace of Lord Krishna, the town grandly celebrates his birthday. Mathura is one of the Sapta Puri, seven cities which are considered holy in Hindu religion. Mostly referred to as Shri Krishna Janma-Bhoomi (birth place), the several temples of Lord Krishna in this holy town are flooded with people during Janmashtami, who can be seen in festive attires and jovial mood. Rasleela is one of the most performed activities in Mathura during the occasion, which depicts the story of Lord Krishna.
Krishna spent his early childhood in Gokul, 16 km away from Mathura and Nandgaon which is 51 km north east of Mathura. Gokul is popular as a religious site from the 16th century and flourished as the center of the Bhakti culture. It was here that Lord Krishna was nurtured and brought up under the guardianship of Nanda and Yashoda. Gokul and Nandgaon is where he grazed cows, played pranks and also slayed demons like Putana at a very early age.
In his adolescent years Krishna moved to Vrindavan, the twin city of Mathura. At a distance of 15 km from Mathura, Vrindavan is a major place of pilgrimage. It is noted for its numerous temples – both old and modern. The name Vrindavan evokes the playfulness and lovable characteristics of Shri Krishna. This is the place where he frolicked with the gopis (milkmaids) and tenderly wooed Radha.
A place where Krishna also spent considerable time was at Govardhana Hill, also called Mount Govardhana. It’s a 8 km long hill located in the area of Govardhan and Radha Kund, which is about 21 kilometres from Vrindavan. The legend goes that at Govardhan, Krishna raised a mighty mountain on his little finger to protect the locals from the wrath of rain-god Indra.
Another place also very close to Krishna’s heart was Barsana, which is the birthplace and home town of his favorite consort Radha, whom he never married. This is a village 45 km away from Mathura and surrounded with hills from four sides. As per the stories, Krishna spent some wonderful childhood moments in Barsana with Radha. There are temples in Barsana that are dedicated to Radha Krishna. It’s where the unique Holi festival ‘Latthamar Holi’ is celebrated with great gusto every year.
Moving on, the city which played a very important role in the life of Lord Krishna was Kurukshetra, located in the state of Haryana. Kurukshetra, named after King Kuru who was ancestor of Pandavas and Kauravas, is the place where the epic Mahabharata battle was fought. At this place only, Lord Krishna preached the entire Bhagawad Gita to Arjuna. The city is also known as Dharmkshetra and there are many sites in this city that depicts its connection with Lord Krishna.
The journey of Krishna continued as he moved to Dwarka, a popular city of the state of Gujarat. Mostly recognized with Dwarka Kingdom – kingdom of Lord Krishna, it is believed that the holy place was constructed in two days on the orders of Lord Krishna. He migrated from Mathura to Dwarka after defeating devil king Kansa. Lord Krishna spent a big part of his life at this place. The festival of Janmashtami is celebrated with great eagerness and dedication here.
Lord Krishna’s journey continues as we get geared up to welcome him home with folded hands, lights, music, festivities and celebrations galore.
India & Festivals
India is a fascinating land and so are the festivals that are celebrated here. I come from the land of Bengal and Durga Puja is more than just a festival for us. It’s a carnival that we look forward to every year with great eagerness. If you are a traveler from abroad planning to visit India, check out these Amazing Festivals of India to plan your visit during those months.
Janmashtami & Krishna Paintings
Ajay Chandak, my friend and renowned painter whose paintings were featured in my post Travel through Art and which earned great appreciation from our readers worldwide, is someone who has traveled extensively in Krishna’s land. And created some masterpieces depicting the various moods of Krishna and Radha with his brush.
On the occasion of Janmashtami, we at ‘Travel with passion’ and ‘Ajay Chandak Art’ have a very special offer for you. “Lord Krishna Comes Home”, a selection of Radha-Krishna paintings for your home. Have a look and decide which ones would you love to bring home.
Order now to receive your choicest paintings early. Fill up the following details and click the submit button. We would get in touch with you immediately.
20% of the proceeds from this ‘Art Sale’ would be donated to a charity organization dedicating its efforts towards the education of the underprivileged Girl Child.
Come let’s get going. To welcome Krishna home. On Janmashtami. And do what we can to help the underprivileged girl child get what she deserves. Education.
Lord Krishna’s journey and Radha-Krishna paintings. PIN it for later
This was such an interesting read. I’m fascinated by all religions, espeically those that have multiple dieties. I really don’t know much about Hinduism, so this one was especially fun for me.
Thanks Ben. Happy you enjoyed learning.
The Temples that are dedicated to Lord Krishna are so beautiful. I would love to join your festival ccelebration and take home that Real Me painting, but what i love most is the idea of giving part of the proceeds to charity.
You are welcome to India. Love that you loved the painting Real Me. You could write a mail on the id mentioned and get it home.
I love how you covered the story taking us from place to place. And specifically how you showed how each one celebrates. The temples are all so beautiful, with so much intricate detail. And I would love to visit them all and retrace the path you showed us.
I learned a lot here. thank you for sharing the information and it’s really exciting to read about. I also liked how you fused storytelling with philanthropy.
Thank you so much Nkem.
Very interesting and informative article. Thank you for sharing!
The temples in India are absolutely gorgeous! The history and culture linked to Krishna is so interesting. Thank you for sharing these places in India, I’m learning so much about the wonderful travel experiences that exist there!
Thanks Lulu.My pleasure.
I loved reading this post because it taught me more about Hinduism and Lord Krishna. My favorite aspect of your blog is how much I learn every time I visit. Janmashtami would be the perfect time to visit India and see the festival and true cultural celebrations.
Thanks Erica you enjoy reading my posts. My pleasure sharing.
As always, I love your many colourful images and the informative post. When I was in school, we did a whole unit on India and I love reading even more about the culture and places there. It reminds me of the lovely time we had learning about it at school!
Thanks Kathrin. Happy that I could make you a little nostalgic by taking you to your school days.
Loved the whole article. It was good to read about Krishna and be reminded of all the places associated with him. I have covered Vrindavan and Mathura in detail during my several visits. There is something so pleasing about these temples. I am sure this year the grand celebrations will not happen but every house will be celebrating Janmastami. The paintings are great work of art.
Thank you Manjulika. My pleasure sharing a little about Sri Krishna whom we all love and respect.
This was really fascinating. I’ll be honest, I knew NOTHING about Lord Krishna before reading this, however, I love learning about other cultures, religions and belief systems. Thank you for taking the time to put all this together, sharing the history and symbolic meaning with those of us who are interested in expanding our knowledge!
Thank you Britt so much.So happy you loved reading.