Krishna Janmashtami 2023: Date, Timings, History, Significance

Janmashtami commemorates the birth of Lord Krishna, the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu on Earth. Lord Krishna’s birth represents the triumph of virtue over evil. On Krishna Janmashtami, Lord Krishna devotees offer prayers and numerous rituals inspired by the life of Baby Krishna are performed across the nation.‘Janm’ signifies birth, whereas ‘Ashtami’ means the eighth. Lord Krishna was the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu and was born on the eighth tithi as the eighth son of Vasudev and Yashoda.Bhagavan Sri Krishna was born at midnight on the Ashtami tithi on the eighth day of the month under the Rohini Nakshatra. According to mythology, Krishna was the eighth child of Mathura’s Yadava clan’s Princess Devaki and her spouse Vasudeva.

Kansa, Devaki’s brother and the king of Mathura at the time, murdered all of Devaki’s children to prevent the fulfilment of a prophecy that stated he would be slain by Devaki’s eighth son. When Krishna was born, Vasudeva took him to the home of a friend in the Mathura district of Gokul. Subsequently, Krishna was raised in Gokul by Nanda and his wife Yashoda.The birth of Lord Krishna took place in a tumultuous period when the evil King Kansa ruled Mathura. A divine prophecy had foretold that Kansa would be killed by Devaki's eighth child, which led to the king imprisoning Devaki and Vasudeva. However, Lord Krishna's miraculous birth in the middle of a stormy night, inside the prison, marked the beginning of a new era of righteousness and the eventual downfall of Kansa.Krishna Janmashtami also known as Gokulashtami, Shrikrishna Jayanti, Krishnasthami, and Janmashtami, the festival is celebrated on the Ashtami Tithi of Krishna Paksha in the month of Bhadrapad. This year, as per Drik Panchang, Rohini Nakshatra for Janmashtami will start from 9.20 am on September 6 and continue till 10.25 am on September 7. Meanwhile, Ashtami Tithi will begin at 3:37 pm on September 6 and end at 4:14 pm on September 7.