In this post, we will dive into some of the most enjoyed aspects of celebrating this festival, guaranteed to bring a smile to your face and excitement to your celebrations!

Lord Krishna was born in the Dvapara Yuga, over 5,000 years ago, in the city of Mathura.

The cruel king, upon pleading by Vasudeva, allowed them to live in a prison in his palace.

But, to make sure of his survival, he placed the condition that he would take away any children born to them.

The story goes that a series of miraculous events unfolded on the night of Krishna’s birth, who was their eighth child.

The prison guards fell into a deep sleep, the heavy chains binding Vasudeva unlocked, and the prison doors opened.

Vasudeva then carried the newborn Krishna across the tumultuous Yamuna River to the village of Gokul.

There, he was entrusted to the care of their friends Nanda and Yashoda, who would be Krishna’s foster parents.

Unknown to Kansa, the divine child he sought to destroy was now growing up safely in Gokul.

This eighth child of Devaki would grow up to be Krishna!!

Below is a short video that shows the story of Krishna’s birth in the cellular jail in Mathura to reach the home of his foster parents.

Note for Parents: As it is with any content for kids, I recommend first watching the videos yourself to see if they are suitable for your child.

Janmashtami is one of the most vibrant and widely observed festivals in India. The celebrations are spread over two days.

People fast and stay up till midnight and sing, and perform dances that depict stories from Krishna’s life, which are called Krishna Leela.

Temples are adorned with flowers and lights, and elaborate “jhankis” (tableaus) are set up to recreate scenes from Krishna’s life.

People visit these temples to pay their respects and enjoy beautiful recreations of Krishna’s life.

There are depictions of Krishna’s birth in a prison cell, his escape to Gokul, his playful antics as a child, and many more.

This is followed by the Dahi Handi celebrations the next day, which generate equal excitement.

The festival is celebrated with much zeal in the parts of Mathura, Vrindavan, and Gokul, places where Krishna spent much of his childhood and young adulthood.

Dahi Handi is a reenactment of the youthful Krishna’s love for butter and curd.

Young men form human pyramids to break a high-hanging pot of curd, mimicking Krishna’s playful habit of stealing butter.

This is often accompanied by enthusiastic cheers from spectators.

It symbolizes the spirit of communal harmony, friendship, and teamwork that Krishna embodied.

In many homes, the idol of baby Krishna is often placed in a jhoola (cradle) and then rocked, symbolizing his birth. The idol is often decorated with new clothes and flowers and offered sweets.

Little kids also love to dress up as Krishna or Radha in bright and colorful clothes and participate in skits. Children love to run around playing the flute and enjoying the prasad.

• Since Krishna was born in Mathura, Mathura is also called Krishnabhumi.
• Other names for this festival are Sree Jayanti and Sri Krishna Jayanti.
• Krishna is known by several names, but some of the most adored names from his childhood are – Kaanha, Kanhaiya, Balgopal, and Makhan-chor.
• Janmashtami is celebrated at midnight, as that is presumed to be the time when Krishna was born.
• Krishna was very fond of eating butter and curd and would often engage in silly tricks with his group of cow-herders to get more butter.
• Krishna has a distinctive look which includes a flute on his lips, a crown on his head adorned with a peacock feather, and dressed in yellow attire.

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Celebrating Janmashtami as a kid was always an absolute blast! We would spend the whole day transforming our front porch into a mini exhibition, a tradition that all the neighborhood kids eagerly took part in.

Everyone had their creative hats on, and we would be dashing around the block, sneaking peeks at each other’s setups, trying to outdo one another.

Parents, siblings, and cousins jumped in to help out. Even though everyone brought something from home, we ended up making countless trips to the store for those last-minute must-haves!

One of the best parts was my dad whipping up his famous Panjiri every year to hand out as prasad to all the neighbors who dropped by.

Meanwhile, my mom would be busy in the kitchen, cooking up a feast that made the whole house smell amazing.

As the day wound down and all the visitors had left, we would have a cozy little pooja at home, carefully decorating the Bal Gopal idol. But the real highlight? The jhoola!

We all took turns swinging little Krishna in his tiny jhoola, each trying to give the perfect, gentle push— like our special way of welcoming him into the world.

Once the sun set and most visitors had left, we’d head over to the temple with our families, which was always a sight to behold.

The place was always decorated with stunning murtis and special attractions just for the festival.

But the coolest part of the visit? Walking on these massive ice blocks in a dimly lit alley, recreating how Vasudev carried baby Krishna through the wild Yamuna River.

Looking back, Janmashtami was so much more than just a religious celebration.

It was a day full of energy, laughter, and that warm, fuzzy feeling of working together with your friends and family.

It’s one of those memories that still brings a big smile to my face and I hope to carry forward the same spirit of togetherness and joy with my own family.

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