Temples Set To Celebrate Janmashtami

suchandra · August 21, 2008

Temples set to celebrate Janmashtami

http://www.southasianfocus.ca/community/article/55005

Wednesday August 20 2008 Lord Krishna with his consort Radha... from an 18th century Rajasthani painting.

The community celebrates Krishna Janmashtami, the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna, this weekend.Janmashtami, known variously in different parts of India and elsewhere as Krishnashtami, Saatam Aatham, Gokulashtami, Ashtami Rohini, Srikrishna Jayanti or Sree Jayanthi, is a Hindu festival celebrating the birth of Krishna.

The festival generally falls sometime in the months of August or September of the Gregorian calendar.

Lord Krishna is an avatar of Lord Vishnu, the Protector, who together with Lord Brahma, the Creator, and Lord Shiva, the Redeemer, makes up the primary pantheon of Hindu Gods.

Hinduism follows the precepts of Sanatan Dharma which, more than a religion, is a way of life. It believes in the One God, with Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva being three faces of the same. Along with Krishna, Lord Rama is another avatar of Lord Vishnu.

Temples across the GTA are preparing to celebrate Janmashtami this Saturday. The biggest temple in Brampton, the Hindu Sabha Mandir (9225 The Gore Road), is as usual planning to stage the festival the evening of Aug. 23 within its complex.

This year the lead-up to Janmashtami has been daily recitals of Shri Vishnu Puran Katha by Bhagvat Shiromani Shri Swami Deen Dayalu Ji Pandey every evening. Priti Bhoj is being served daily.

At Mississauga Ram Mandir (270 Export Boulevard), a program of pooja, bhajan and kirtan has been scheduled Aug. 23 from 6 p.m., culminating with the celebration of Shri Krisna Janam from 12 midnight.

Krishna Janmashtami is observed on the eighth day of the dark half (Krishna Paksha) of the month of Shraavana in the Hindu calendar, when the Rohini Nakshatram is ascendent.

The Hindu calendar being lunar, these two events the day being the eighth of the waning moon (Krishna-paksha Ashtami) and the Rohini Nakshatram being ascendent may overlap for only a few hours. In such an event, the festival may be celebrated on different (but successive) days by different people, depending on their local or family traditions.

The ritual is to fast the previous day (Saptami, seventh day). This is followed by a night-long vigil commemorating the birth of Krishna at night, and his immediate removal by his father to a foster-home for safe-keeping.

At midnight, the deity of the infant Krishna is bathed, placed in a cradle and worshipped. In the early morning, ladies draw patterns of little children's feet outside the house with rice-flour paste, walking towards the house. This symbolizes the entry of the infant Krishna into his foster-home.

This is performed to recreate incidents from the life of Krishna and commemorate his love for Radha. The Rasa Lila recreates the youthful Krishna's dalliance with the milkmaids of his native land.

Krishna is often depicted as a baby, as a young boy playing a flute as in the Bhagavata Purana, or as a youthful prince giving direction and guidance as in the Bhagvad Gita, according to web content encyclopedia Wikipedia.

The stories of Krishna appear across a broad spectrum of Hindu philosophical and theological traditions.

Though they may sometimes differ in the detail, some core features are shared by all. These include a divine incarnation, a pastoral childhood and youth, and life as a heroic warrior and teacher protecting the people.

The festival is celebrated with great joy and communal togetherness.