Every year, the festival of Janamashtami is celebrated by Hindus on the occasion of the birth of Lord Krishna, who is believed to be the incarnation of Lord Vishnu.
According to the Hindu calendar, Lord Krishna was born on the eighth day of the month of Bhadra. The day usually falls in the months of August or September according to the Western calendar. The festival of Janamashtami is celebrated by offering prayers to Lord Krishna, with beautifully decorated swings, dance and music performances and the Dahi Handi competition.
Also read | Why Janmashtami is Celebrated, Its History and Rituals
Many state governments announce holidays for schools and other institutions on the occasion of Janmashtami, but there are some government institutions that remain functional. Also the private schools are following the orders of the respective state government and announced their schedule accordingly. Private schools in Uttar Pradesh announced holiday on Janmashtami on Friday (August 19). The government also has holidays for schools in Himachal Pradesh.
The direction to declare Janmashtami a holiday differs from state to state. Several state governments like Kerala, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh have not declared Janmahtami as a public holiday. However, schools and colleges remain closed in the Nilgiris district of Kerala as the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of heavy rains in Nilgiris, Coimbatore, Dindigul and Tirupur districts.
When it comes to public holidays, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) calendar shows branches in Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Chandigarh, Chennai, Dehradun, Gangtok, Jaipur, Jammu, Kanpur, Lucknow, Patna, Raipur, Ranchi, Shillong, Shimla and Srinagar will remain closed tomorrow.
The RBI reports vacation days in three categories: the negotiable instruments law, vacation, vacation in real-time gross settlement and bank account closure.
Birth of Lord Krishna
Lord Krishna is said to have been born in a dungeon in present-day Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. He was born at midnight to Queen Devaki and King Vasudev. Therefore, according to tradition, the Krishna Janmashtami puja is performed in the Nishita Kaal, which is around midnight.
History and significance of Janmashtami
According to the belief, Kansa, the brother of Queen Devaki, heard a prophecy that Lord Krishna was born to destroy him. So Kansa tried to eliminate the baby Krishna, but before he could do that, Krishna was sent safely from the dark dungeon. King Vasudeva crossed the Yamuna River with Krishna over his head in a basket and offered him a safe haven in Gokul.
Also read | Date, Time and Meaning of Krishna Janmashtami
In the Mahabharata, the story of Lord Krishna as Arjuna’s charioteer during the Kurukshetra War is most recognized. He maintained Arjuna’s allegiance to dharma.
Since Lord Krishna is considered the protector of Dharma and destroyer of Adharma, his birth is nationally commemorated on Janmashtami.
The day of Krishna Janmashtami celebrates the love, warmth and beauty that Lord Krishna represents.