Festival calendar
Krishna Janmashtami 2021
Krishna's birth - Bhadrapada Krishna 8 in the amanta reckoning. Dated here by the ashtami prevailing at sunrise, which is the Vaishnava rule and the one most published panchangs follow. Smarta practice dates it by nishita instead, and in some years the two fall on different days - 2023 was one
| Dated by | sunrise |
|---|---|
| Lunar month (ending at new moon, amanta) | Shravana |
| Lunar month (ending at full moon, purnimanta) | Bhadrapada |
| Where it is kept | all India |
Why this date
Shravana Krishna Ashtami runs from 29 Aug 2021 23:25 to 31 Aug 2021 02:00 in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India.
The festival is kept on the first day on which this tithi is running at sunrise. Here is that moment on the day before, the day itself and the day after:
- 29 Aug 2021 · sunrise at 05:37: the tithi had not begun
- 30 Aug 2021 · sunrise at 05:37: the tithi is running - this is the day
- 31 Aug 2021 · sunrise at 05:38: the tithi was already over
About Krishna Janmashtami
Krishna Janmashtami is a Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Krishna. Many Hindu texts describe Krishna as the eighth avatar of the god Vishnu.
According to tradition, Krishna was born in a prison in Mathura, where his parents, Devaki and Vasudeva, were held by his uncle, King Kansa.
The legend says a prophecy had warned Kansa that Devaki's eighth child would cause his death.
In the story, Vasudeva took the newborn Krishna across the Yamuna River to be raised by his foster mother, Yashoda.
Many devotees fast and sing devotional songs called bhajans. Some keep the fast until midnight, the traditional hour of Krishna's birth, when an image of baby Krishna is bathed and placed in a cradle.
In Maharashtra, teams called Govindas form human pyramids to reach and break a pot of curd hung high up, an event called Dahi Handi. It recalls stories of the young Krishna stealing butter and curd.
Dates and times are for Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India. Another town can differ by a day when a tithi changes close to sunrise. You can change the place above.
Also in this lunar month
- Hariyali Teej · 11 Aug 2021
- Nag Panchami · 13 Aug 2021
- Raksha Bandhan · 22 Aug 2021
- Kajari Teej · 25 Aug 2021