The festival of Janmashtami is celebrated on the Ashtami date of Krishna Paksha of Bhadrapada month. On this day, Lord Shri Krishna incarnated on earth. Lord Krishna used to celebrate his birthday with mother cow.

Actually, mother cow is most dear to Shri Krishna. Lord Krishna says, Cow is the mother of this whole world. All the deities and sages reside in the mother cow, the virtue that you get by serving this mother cow, who is extremely sinless and nurtures the whole world, is not even achieved by hundreds of yagyas. There is also a prevalent religious belief that 33 crore deities reside in mother cow. Therefore, by worshiping mother cow, we also get the result of worshiping 33 crore deities. Whenever there is talk of mother cow, the name of Shri Krishna also comes on the tongue.

Why we celebrate Janmashtami
Janmashtami, the birthday of Lord Krishna, means the day to recollect the spirit of Bhakti and Bhava Yoga. The festival of Janmashtami is celebrated differently in different parts of the country as well as all over the world. As soon as the name of Janmashtami is mentioned, the picture of Dahi Handi first emerges in the mind, when youths rush to break the pot full of butter. Makhanchor Shri Krishna is always remembered as the friend and protector of the cow. We can feel the presence of Lord Krishna in every aspect of our life. We respect not only Shri Krishna but all the things related to him.

Take the resolution of Guaseva on Janmashtami
By worshiping Lord Krishna on the day of Janmashtami, one gets freedom from all sins and as long as one lives on this earth, one attains salvation by living a happy life. By serving mother cow, all the sins of a man are destroyed and he gets inexhaustible virtue. There are those who serve mother cow and those who follow her go to Goloka and reside after death.

Cow has been called mother in all the ancient texts of Hinduism, although all animals and birds are worshiped in Hinduism, but the place of mother cow is at the top. Along with being the most sacred, their place is equal to the gods. In Hinduism, the cow is considered to be the form of Kamdhenu Mata. Mata Kamdhenu has appeared from the churning of ocean, that is why she is considered as the sister of Maa Lakshmi.

By placing one's head on the head of the cow and paying obeisance to her, one attains knowledge. Goddess Parvati is at the root of cow's horns and Lord Shivshankar always resides in the middle of the horns, therefore worship of Mother Parvati should be done by applying kumkum at the root of cow's horns.

Gumata eliminates sorrow and poverty
On the occasion of Janmashtami, at different times in all the temples, milk of the cows of the Gaushala is used to anoint the deity. Along with Mahabhishekam with milk, curd, boora, honey and ghee, Mangal Aarti is the first aarti in the morning. In Shree krishnayan gaurakshashala also worship is done on the occasion of Krishna Janmashtami.
On the day of Shri Krishna Janmashtami, cow mother should be bathed and worshiped by applying turmeric kumkum to her. Feeding this to mother cow destroys sorrow and poverty from human life. Feeding green grass to mother cow increases the respect of a person and feeding bread to mother cow daily brings blessings of Goddess Lakshmi.

Donation for cows
Janmashtami, the birthday of Lord Krishna, is a time of celebration and devotion. It is also a time to give back to the world in a meaningful way. One of the most auspicious gifts that a devotee can give on this day is Gauseva, or charity for cows. In Sanatan Dharma, cow is considered mother. She is seen as a symbol of purity, motherhood and abundance. Cow donation or cow service is considered a very commendable act which brings great blessings to the donor. It is said to cleanse a person of his sins, improve his health and well-being and lead to a happy and prosperous life.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How do people celebrate Krishna's birthday?

Hindus celebrate Janmashtami by fasting, singing, praying together, preparing and sharing special food, night vigils, and visiting Krishna or Vishnu temples. The places of Mathura and Vrindavan are visited by pilgrims.

How to celebrate Krishna birthday at home?

Devotees enjoy a celebratory meal after breaking the daylong fast. In addition to fasting during the holiday, Krishna's devotees sing songs, bhajans, kirtans, dedicated to Krishna, reenact episodes from mythology about his life, known as Krishna Lilas, and perform folk dances or garbhas.

Which day is Krishna born?

According to Hindu mythology, Janmashtami is celebrated on 'ashtami' or the eighth day of 'Krushna Paksha' (fortnight) of Bhadrav month.