Devotees offering their prayer

The day of Janmashtami begins on a religious note with special prayers being offered to God in various temples and households. The deity is bathed in milk and dressed in new clothes. Deities of Bal Gopala, or Krishna as an infant, are placed in miniature cradles made of gold or silver and worshipped. The sound of Shankhas (conches) and chants in praise of the Lord fill the air.

The temples are brightly decorated with flowers, shimmering streamers of golden and silver coloured paper and multi-coloured lights etc.

Krishna is believed to have been born at midnight, so the Puja (prayer ceremony) for Janmashtami is also performed late at night.

Devotees fast throughout the day (some even do so without consuming a single drop of water) and offer prayers at night. They congregate at local Krishna temples. Offerings of milk, Kheer, sweets, fruits and also gold jewellery are made to the Lord, after which the devotees break their fast by consuming the Holy Prasad (sweet food).

During the evening, to enhance the experience of the festival, a number of stalls are set up where young children are seated and dressed up as Lord Krishna or other mythological characters, some of them are coloured blue all over (representing the skin colour of the Lord). Even infants dressed up as baby Krishna are placed in cradles.

Source: - www.sodelhi.com

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