For Hindus, the festival of Janmashtami celebrates Lord Krishna’s birth. On the eighth day of the dark fortnight of the Bhadrapada month, which is typically in August or September, the festival is celebrated. Janmashtami 2024 will be observed on August 26 (Monday) this year.
Janma (birth) and Ashtami (the eighth day of the month, according to the Hindu calendar) are the two words that make up this phrase. In Mathura, where Krishna was born, and in Vrindavan, where he spent his early childhood, Janmashtami is celebrated with an immense religious fervour with thousands of devotees thronging the city during this time.
Fasting, which is regarded as a means of mental and physical purification, is one of the most significant aspects of Janmashtami. The rules for fasting are different for different people and for different regions, but they all centre on devotion and reverence.
Janmashtami 2024: Rituals and breaking the fast
On Janmashtami, people usually fast for a day and pray, sing, and recite the Bhagavad Gita or Krishna Leela. The fervent celebration of Krishna’s birth in temples draws a lot of devotees. Following the symbolic birth of Lord Krishna, the fast is typically broken at midnight.
Following the Prasad, the prepared food is presented to Krishna as part of the fasting ritual. Devotees believe that fasting and performing these ceremonies with sincerity and devotion brings them nearer to Lord Krishna, looking for his blessings for success and spiritual development.
Janmashtami 2024: Types of fasting
• Nirjala Fast: This is the strictest form of fast, which marks Krishna’s birth by not eating or drinking until midnight, is followed by aarti and prayers.
• Phalahar Fast: Permitting fruits, milk, and water, it takes care of those unfit to mark Nirjala, sticking to a Sattvic (pure) diet, and staying away from grains, vegetables, onions, and garlic. Rice, grains, pulses, and salt are all prohibited during the Janmashtami fast. Devotees, on the other hand, use rock salt to make non-cereal items like buckwheat, amaranth, and water chestnut flour.
• Permissible Foods
1. Fresh fruits like apples, bananas and pomegranates
2. Dairy products like yogurt, milk, paneer and butter
3. Root vegetables like potatoes and sweet potatoes, often used in dishes like vrat (another Hindi term for fasting) ke aloo
4. Nuts and seeds, which give energy and nutrients during the fast.
First Published: Aug 23 2024 | 8:34 PM IST
