When it falls
Janmashtami is the Ashtami (eighth day) of the dark fortnight of Bhadrapad in the north Indian calendar — Shravan Krishna Ashtami in the amanta calendar used in the west and south. It falls in August or early September. Krishna was born at midnight, so the main puja takes place at nishita kaal, the midnight hour, and the tradition also looks for the Rohini nakshatra, under which he was born.
Janmashtami dates in 2026 and 2027
Dates below are the Smarta Janmashtami for New Delhi, from Drik Panchang. The midnight puja is on the night of this date; Vaishnava temples may keep the following day (see below).
| Year | Krishna Janmashtami |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Friday, 4 September |
| 2027 | Wednesday, 25 August |
Why Krishna's birth is celebrated
For Vaishnavas, Krishna is not only the eighth avatar of Vishnu but the fullest revelation of God, Bhagavan svayam, in the phrase of the Bhagavata. In the Bhagavad Gita he tells Arjuna that whenever dharma declines and adharma rises, he comes into the world to protect the good and restore righteousness (Gita 4.7–8). Janmashtami celebrates that coming: God born not in a palace but in a prison, at midnight, to a mother in chains, and raised among cowherds. That is why the festival mixes deep reverence with the tenderness people feel for a newborn.
Why there are often two dates
Ashtami and Rohini do not always coincide, and different communities weigh them differently. Smarta households usually keep the night when Ashtami prevails at midnight. Vaishnava traditions — including Mathura, Vrindavan and ISKCON — often follow the Ashtami at sunrise or give more weight to Rohini, and so may celebrate a day later. Calendars therefore frequently list Janmashtami on two consecutive days. Follow your family's or temple's tradition; check the Panchang for the Ashtami and Rohini timings.
The story of the birth
The Bhagavata Purana (Book 10) tells it. King Kamsa of Mathura had been warned that the eighth child of his sister Devaki would kill him, so he imprisoned Devaki and her husband Vasudeva and killed their children one by one. When the eighth child was born at midnight in the prison, the guards fell asleep, the chains opened and the gates swung wide. Vasudeva carried the newborn across the flooded Yamuna in a basket — the river parting for him and the serpent Shesha sheltering the child from the rain — to Gokul, where he exchanged him with the baby daughter just born to Yashoda and Nanda. Krishna grew up in Gokul and Vrindavan as Yashoda's son, and later returned to Mathura to end Kamsa's rule.
How it is observed
- The fast: devotees fast through the day — many take only fruit and milk, some keep a waterless fast — and break it after the midnight puja.
- The cradle: an image of Bal Gopal (the infant Krishna) is placed in a decorated cradle (jhula), and homes and temples set up jhankis, tableaux of scenes from his life.
- Midnight abhishek: at midnight the conch is blown, and Bal Gopal is bathed with panchamrit (milk, curd, ghee, honey and sugar), then with water, dressed in new clothes and placed in the cradle. Follow the Krishna puja vidhi.
- Bhog: makhan-mishri (butter and sugar), dhaniya panjiri, panchamrit, fruits and sweets are offered, with tulsi leaves on every offering.
- Aarti and kirtan: Aarti Kunj Bihari Ki, the Hare Krishna mahamantra, the Krishna Chalisa and bhajans such as Maiya Mori Main Nahi Makhan Khayo.
On fasting: those who are unwell, pregnant, elderly or on medication can keep a light fruit-and-milk fast or only the midnight puja. Children are usually not asked to fast; they are often the ones who rock the cradle at midnight.
Laddu Gopal: Krishna as a member of the family
Many homes keep a small brass image of the crawling child Krishna holding a laddoo, called Laddu Gopal or Bal Gopal, and care for him through the year as a child of the house: he is woken, bathed, dressed, fed at mealtimes and put to bed at night. Janmashtami is his birthday, so families give him a new outfit (poshak), a new cradle or flute, and a special bhog. If you are bringing a Laddu Gopal home for the first time, Janmashtami is a traditional day to begin; the daily care can be as simple as a morning offering of water, tulsi and something sweet, and a lamp in the evening.
Dahi Handi and Nandotsav
The day after Janmashtami is Nandotsav, the celebration in Nanda's house at the birth of a son, with sweets and gifts. In Maharashtra it is Gopalkala or Dahi Handi: teams of young men called govindas form human pyramids to break a pot of curd hung high above the street, re-enacting the child Krishna's raids on the butter pots of Gokul. Because tall pyramids are dangerous, Maharashtra has set safety rules for Dahi Handi, including minimum ages, safety harnesses, helmets and mats; organisers are expected to follow them.
Janmashtami across India
- Mathura and Vrindavan: the centres of the festival. At the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple in Mathura the midnight abhishek is the focus; at Banke Bihari in Vrindavan the mangala aarti, held only once a year, takes place on Janmashtami night. Raas Leela troupes perform across Braj through the week.
- Gujarat, Dwarka: the Dwarkadhish temple, Krishna as king of Dwarka, is decorated and the night is celebrated with music and garba.
- Karnataka, Udupi: the Krishna Matha celebrates Krishna Jayanti, followed by the Vitla Pindi festival, with its own customs, such as cowherd games in the street.
- Tamil Nadu and Kerala: as Gokulashtami or Sri Jayanti, small footprints are drawn with rice-flour paste from the doorway to the puja room, as if the child Krishna had walked in, and seedai, murukku and appam are offered.
- Odisha and Jagannath Puri: Janmashtami is followed by the Nanda Utsav of the temple's own calendar.
- ISKCON temples worldwide: a full day of kirtan, reading of the tenth book of the Bhagavata, abhishek at midnight and a feast the next day, which is also the appearance day of their founder, A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada.
Frequently asked questions
When is Janmashtami in 2027?
The Smarta Janmashtami is on Wednesday, 25 August 2027 in New Delhi; Vaishnava temples may celebrate the next day. In 2026 it fell on 4 September.
Why is Janmashtami celebrated at midnight?
Because Krishna was born at midnight in Kamsa's prison in Mathura. The main puja and the breaking of the fast follow that hour.
Why are there two Janmashtami dates in some years?
Because Ashtami and Rohini nakshatra don't always fall together. Smarta households usually keep the first night; Vaishnava traditions, including Mathura-Vrindavan and ISKCON, often keep the next day.
How is the Janmashtami fast broken?
After the midnight puja and aarti, by taking prasad — panchamrit, makhan-mishri or panjiri. Some break it the next morning after sunrise.
What is offered to Bal Gopal on Janmashtami?
Makhan-mishri, dhaniya panjiri, panchamrit, fruits and sweets, always with tulsi leaves.
What is Dahi Handi?
The custom, mainly in Maharashtra, of forming human pyramids to break a pot of curd hung high up, re-enacting Krishna stealing butter as a child. It is held the day after Janmashtami.
Who were Krishna's parents?
His birth parents were Devaki and Vasudeva; he was raised in Gokul by Yashoda and Nanda.
Why are small footprints drawn on Janmashtami?
Mainly in South India, little footprints of rice-flour paste are drawn from the front door to the puja room, as a welcome to the child Krishna walking into the house.
What is Gokulashtami?
Another name for Janmashtami, used especially in Maharashtra and South India, after Gokul, where Krishna was raised.
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