India. A land of diversity, and different cultures, and unique lifestyles. A place where everyone is different, and knows the world differently.
And yet, we are not divided.
Diverse, but unified. Contrasting cultures, in harmony. Unique, but toget...
Haathi ghodapaalki, Jai Kanhaiya Lal ki! Nand ke ghar anand bhayo, Jai Kanhaiya Lal ki
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Janmashtami, known from different names all across the country such as Krishna Janmashtami or Gokulashtami, is the festival celebrating the birth (janma) of Lord Krishna, the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu. It is celebrated on the eighth day (ashtami) of the Krishna Paksha of the Shravan or Bhadrapada month of the Hindu calendar Vikram Samvat, and hence the name 'Janmashtami'.
The story behind the celebration of Janmashtami goes like this: Devaki, the sister of King Kansa of Mathura was married to Vasudev. While leaving both of them to Vasudev's place on his chariot, an 'Akashvani' forecasted that the eighth son of Devaki and Vasudeva will be the slayer of Kansa, as he was a very ruthless king and did not have any mercy on the people of his kingdom. Listening to the 'Akashvani' (divine prophecy), Kansa was infuriated. He put both Devaki and Vasudeva in prison. And soon Devaki gave birth to her first son, whom Kansa killed. This went on till Devaki gave birth to her seventh son, who too was not spared from Kansa's wrath.
But when Devaki's eighth son, Krishna was born, magic happened, and all the guards on watch fell asleep. The prison locks opened, and nobody came to know about the birth of Devaki and Vasudeva's son. Vasudeva kept the son in a straw basket and went outside the prison, to drop off his son at his friend Nanda's home. It was raining that night, and the river Yamuna was flooded with water which made it extremely dangerous. But after all, as it is said, a parent can do absolutely anything for their child.
