Janmashtami 2022: Visit these 5 places in India to witness grand celebration of Krishna Janmashtami

One of the most popular Hindu festivals is Janmashtami, which is widely observed throughout India. In India, Janmashtami—also known as Gokulashtami—celebrates the birthday of Lord Krishna and will be observed on August 19 this year. One of the most well-known Hindu deities, Krishna is thought to be Vishnu's eighth incarnation. Here are some of the top places in India to experience Janmashtami festivities and travel over the holiday.

Mathura

Because it is the birthplace of Lord Krishna, Mathura celebrates Janmashtami with great fervour. The two main holidays celebrated here are Jhulanotsav and Ghatas. For the festival of Juhlanotsav, people hang swings over their idols of Krishna in their homes. In a ritual called Abhishek, Krishna idols are bathed with milk, curd, honey, and even ghee in the early morning (anointment). The idol is dressed in new attire and ornaments after being bathed, and it is then positioned in a swing (jhulan). To commemorate Krishna's birth, these swings are placed in the courtyards of homes and temples all across Mathura. Krishna statues are swung on them.

The practise known as "Ghatas" involves decorating the city's temples all in the same colour scheme. Various temples hold pujas to worship the festival of Krishna's birth. Famous landmarks in Mathura include Bankey Bihari, Dwarkadhish, Krishna Janmabhoomi Mandir, and the ISKCON temple.

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Gokul

Gokul is the most significant location linked with Lord Krishna's upbringing because it was where he spent his formative years with his adoring adoptive parents, Yashodha and Nanda. Gokul celebrates Janmashtami, also known as Gokulashtami, a day after the rest of the nation because Krishna was taken there from Mathura after midnight. One day after Krishna was born, the people of Gokul discovered his existence, so they decided to celebrate his birthday on that day.

The Radha Raman Temple and Radha Damhodar are two of the most well-known temples for pilgrims in Gokul. The Janmashtami Pooja, chime-ringing, conch-and shell-blowing, as well as other religious and social events, define Janmashtami celebrations. The Krishna deity is bathed in curd, buttermilk, and nectar after Sanskrit mantras and praise songs are recited until midnight.

Vrindavan

Ten days before Krishna's birthday, the festival of Janmashtami starts in Vrindavan. One of the oldest temples in India is the Govind Dev Temple in Vrindavan. Another fascinating place is Nidhi Van, a revered Krishna temple in the heart of a large forest of trees. There are many Vana Tulsi (basil) trees in the park that surrounds the temples.

In Vrindavan, there are more than 4,000 temples. All of these people joyfully and passionately observe Janmashtami. This is what makes Vrindavan such a popular destination for travellers during this time of year.

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Mumbai

In Mumbai, the city of lights, two of the most popular celebrations are Janmashtami and Ganesh Chaturthi. The dahi handi ritual, which entails a large number of people creating a pyramid to reach and smash an earthen pot hung high in the air, is performed by a number of dedicated groups. This is a recreation of a tale about Krishna's childhood, in which it is said that the kid broke such earthen butter pots while creating pyramids with his friends. Worli, Thane, and Jogeshwari stage some of the best dahi handi festivals. During Janmashtami, the ISKCON temple in Juhu is a great place to visit because it brightly celebrates Krishna's birthday.

Kerala

Kerala celebrates a magnificent celebration on Janmashtami. Palpaysam and appam, two special south Indian meals, are made and served to Krishna. Major rituals and festive events are centred on the Guruvayoor Sri Krishna temple. Poojas and aartis are done at the temple throughout the day to start it off. The elephants from the Guruvayoor temple accompany a procession carrying a gold idol of "Balakrishna."