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GOKULSHTAMI
Gokul Ashtami is the birthday of Lord Krishna
in Hindu mythology. One of the many avatars (incarnations)
that Lord Vishnu appeared in the mortal world to destroy evil,
was Lord Krishna. This festival is celebrated as per the Hindu
calendar and falls on the 8th day of the dark half of the
month of 'Bhadrapada' (August-September as per the Julain
calendar).
Lord Krishna was born at midnight and hence
most devotees observe a twenty-four hour fast which is broken
at midnight. The festival is also known as "Janma Ashtami".
There is fascinating story associated with
the origin of the festival in Hindu mythology. Lord Krishna
was the child of the chief of Shooras ie Vasudev who was married
to Devaki.
The kingdom was ruled by the wicked and
cruel king Kansa, who had no respect for law, human or divine.
Kansa was once told by the divine sage Narada, that the eighth
child born to Vasudev and Devaki would slay him, if he continued
his wicked and evil ways.
Kansa decided to foil the prophecy in his
own way by confining Vasudev and Devaki in his palace dungeons.
There they languished for years as every child born to them
was handed over to Kansa who mercilessly killed the newborn.
The seventh born was a boy and with some
outside help he was spirited away to nearby Gokul to be brought
up by Rohini, the elder wife of Vasudev who was staying as
a guest of Nanda, the chief of the Yadavas of Gokul. Kansa
was shown a newborn dead girl as the seventh child of Devaki.
The child grew up to be Balaram, the brother
of Lord Krishna. Soon Devaki was expecting her eigth child,
the one who was supposed to slay Kansa and end his evil. On
the eighth day of the dark half of the month of 'Shravan'
amidst thunder, lightning and torrential rains Devaki gave
birth to a child.
According to the "Barhaspatyamana",
the date for this is thought to be in the year of 'Visvavasu',
5,I72 years ago around 3227 BC.
Thanks to the divine intervention from the
Gods, Vasudev was able to escape from the prison along with
the child. He carried the holy child in a small basket across
the river Yamuna and handed over the child, with the basket
to Ganga Charya, the family priest and Nanda, the chief of
Yadavas, waiting on the opposite bank.
A new born daughter of Nanda was carried
back to the prison. The next day, Kansa assumed that a daughter
was born as the eighth child of Devaki and was happy that
the prophecy of Narada had proven false.
Lord Krishna grew up in Gokul as the child
of Nanda and Yashoda and later played a leading role in the
great war fought on the battlefield of Kurukshetra, where
he delivered his wonderful message of the Gita.
Gokulashtami is a community celebration
with people visiting local Krishna temples, which are specially
decorated and lit for the occasion. A special ritual of the
day is enacted by the local youth who form human pyramid to
reach the pot full of curds (dahi-handi) tied to a rope high
above the road and break it.
A little before midnight, devotees pour
into temples to participate in the special 'Arati' and to
relive the birth of Krishna. Till midnight, devotional songs
are sung in anticipation of the holy birth. Special cradles
are installed at temples and a small statue of the "Balgopal"
(child image of Krishna) is placed in them.
Click HERE
to see a photo gallery of Gokulashatmi
See Also Hindu Festivals Celebrated in
Goa:
| Chovoth
| Diwali | Gokulashtami
| Holi | Lairai
Jatra | Nagpanchami |
| Gudi Padwa | Raksha
Bandhan | Ram Navmi | Vasco
Saptah | Chikhalkala |
|
