With ‘Janmashtami’ on the cards and Krishna’s midnight birth celebrations only a few hours away, India is today gearing up to wholesomely welcome ‘Bal Krishn’ (infant Krishna), worshipped as the eighth incarnation of the supreme god, Lord Vishnu. But this year especially, the day holds even more significance and calls for double celebrations as it is arriving days after ‘Ram Janmbhoomi’ stone-laying foundation. (Not to forget, both the supreme gods, ‘Ram Lala’ and ‘Nand Lal’ are an incarnation of Vishnu, seventh and eighth respectively). On one hand, Hindus have finally succeeded in re-instating their ‘Ram’ on the place of his origin, that always belonged to only him, on the other, Krishna Janmashtami which is going to mark the birth of ‘Bal Gopal’ in the year 2020, is just around the corner.

Courtesy: Newsd.in

Although Krishna (the 8th incarnation of Vishnu) had to stay away from his place of birth for years, he did return to slay evil Kans. And Ram (the 7th incarnation of Vishnu) too had to go in exile for 14 years as a result of a vicious circle of conspiracies, but he did return to his Ayodhya after eliminating all the evil powers. Because along with ‘truth’ that is what prevails, ‘Dharma’. And this is precisely what every Indian believes in.

Courtesy: News Portal

Those who still fail to understand the prime and only purpose behind Lord Vishnu’s (the God of Gods) incarnations as ‘Ram’ and ‘Krishna’ in Dwapar and Treta Yug, here is an apt answering:

Point 1: To establish ‘Dharma’ primarily. (Dharma: The original nature or character of something or someone)

Point 2: To kill the evil demons and be victorious over ‘Adharma’.

The conclusion being, “Yato Dharma Stato Jaya”, meaning, Where there is Dharma, there will be Victory”.

Agree or not, when India recently witnessed and celebrated one such ‘Dharma Vijay’ in the form of Ayodhya ceremony, the whole world not only ‘noted’ the grand ceremony but also ‘nodded’ in the glory that was being celebrated. Therefore, Krishna’s birth celebrations at this hour, well, it couldn’t match better and the timing is just perfect. Thus, a double delight it is for all ‘Hindu Bhakts’. (Especially when each one of them is still hungover ‘Ram Lala’ celebrations).

Courtesy: Crafts of India

In the Hindu mythology, it is on the eighth day of the Krishna Paksha in Shraavana or Bhadrapad that the festival dedicated to Hindu deity ‘Krishna’ is observed with great show and absolute madness among masses while devotees of Krishna Bhagwan observe fasts in parts of India after midnight praying and ‘Prasad’ distribution. Call it Krishnashtami, Gokulashtami, Yadukulashtami, Sri Krishna Jayanti or anything you call it by, Krishna’s birth celebration is incomplete without Dahi Handi, kite-flying and tons of ‘Mithai’ and people all the year eagerly wait for this mesmerizing event.

For the unversed, little Krishna was borne to Devaki and Vasudeva in the prison of Mathura. Being born with a prime purpose of killing his evil uncle ‘Mama Kans’ (about which Kansa was foretold, much earlier), and the ‘avatar’ as he was of supreme power, Krishna was miraculously overnight reached safely to his foster mother ‘Yashoda’ in Gokul, Vrindavan which became his place of a number of ‘Leelas’. The very fortunate ‘Gokulvasis’ witnessed it all, from little Kanhaiya’s Baal-Leela, to his Ras-Leela. From Kanha killing demoness ‘Putana‘ to winning over Kaliya Naag. From Kanha stealing Maakhan from Gopis of the village to him innocently proving himself un-guilty before Mayya Yashoda. From Nand-Lal displaying extraordinary powers to school Bhagwan Indra and Lord Brahma to him playing as any ordinary boy among other Gopalas.

Krishna Leelas are countless and went on till he blessed the universe with ‘Bhagwat Geeta’ in the ‘Mahabharat’ War between Pandavas and Kauravas, where he, by giving the prime principle to the world said the divine eternal truth:

“Yada Yada hi Dharmasya, glanir bhavati bharata

abhyutthanam adharmasya, tadatmanam srjamy aham”

Whenever and wherever there is a decline in religious practice, O descendant of Bharata, and a predominant rise of irreligion—at that time I descend Myself, said Krishna.

Not only Hindus but Krishna, the eighth Avatar of Lord Vishnu is being worshipped by millions of devotees worldwide. ‘ISKCON Temples’ are a medium to spread the principles of Krishna. Globally, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON), founded in 1996 in New York City first is informally known as the Hare Krishna movement or Hare Krishnas. ISKCON describes Krishna as the source of all the avatars of God where Krishna’s devotees by practicing Kirtan, chanting Hare Krishna Mantras express their devotion.

Meanwhile, while the ‘Nand Gopala’s’ elated bhakts worldwide are all set to welcome him to their homes, it is that time of the year when people will not only sing cradlesongs but will also pamper baby Krishna as much as they did to Ram Lala only a few days back on the occasion of sitting him back to the place where he belonged.

P.S: The message is clear to all distressed and conspiring minds, “even though they have their own beliefs, opinions, and threats to give, we do not intend to take any of it lightly too but Indians for long have been the believers of Dharma as well as Ahimsa, so, this temperament shouldn’t be taken for granted either”.

Hare Rama Hare Krishna!

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