Krishna Janmasthami Festival is on 16th August, 2025
Krishna Janmasthami Festival is one of the popular festivals celebrated in Nepal, India, and parts of the world where the Hindu community resides. This is a festival to mark the birthday of LORD KRISHAN, one of the 8th Avatars (Re-incarnation) of Lord Vishnu/Bishnu.
Krishna Janmasthami Festival is celebrated on the eighth day of Krishna Paksha in the month of Shrawan, the fourth month of the Nepali Calendar (Lunar Calendar), and this YEAR, 2025, Krishna Festival falls on the month of August 16th.
Krishna Janmasthami is a common festival among Hindu followers; however, among different sects, Krishna Janmasthami is a jubilant celebration among the members of the Vaisnavis sect and followers of Krishna Consciousness.
In Nepal, Krishna Janmasthami is celebrated in temples dedicated to all the avatars of Lord Krishna, including the 9th Avatar, Lord Buddha. However, there are a couple of places not to miss in Kathmandu where one can observe the vibrancy of the Janmasthami festival. Those include the Krishna Temple in Patan, the Buddhanilkantha Temple (Sleeping Vishnu), and the ISKCON Temple.
Krishna Temple in Patan lies within the UNESCO Heritage Sites, so one can explore the entire spectrum of the area. Local flocks in a long queue to pray to Lord Krishna in Patan, and it is a customary practice that the head of the state participates in this religious gathering in Patan.
History Related to the Birth of Lord KRISHNA
Lord Krishna, who is regarded as one of the incarnations of Lord Vishnu, has a direct link with Vishnu, who is believed to be the preserver/protector among the Trinity divine. To preserve/protect people and also to establish the DHARMA, Lord Vishnu frequently incarnates himself in the form of a Human and takes birth through mortal beings.
Throughout his birth, Lord Vishnu not only is destined to protect Dharma, but he also passes a message to the people to follow the path to lead a blissful life. Lord Krishna, in his birth, gave a beautiful message through these words to Arjun, and the entire conversation has been captured in the Bhagwat Geeta.
Thus, to protect and preserve the righteousness and to kill the demonic king KANSA, who was to be his maternal uncle, he himself took birth via Vasuki and Deviki. King Kansa was warned by the divine that he would be killed by his own Cousin (Krishna).
Thus, to protect himself, he happened to imprison his sister and his in-laws. However, the destiny was to happen, and in the jail, Krishna took birth in a dark night when all the security was in a deep sleep. Vasuki took the little Krishna and handed him to Yasoda and Nanda, who were the citizens of a different kingdom, and they always remained his parents throughout.
Later on, King KANSA got a divine proclamation that the saviour of righteousness had already taken birth. In anger, Kansa ordered his army to kill all the newborn babies, but destiny had other plans for different, and Krishna was growing up differently. There are numerous wonderful stories related to Lord Krishna’s childhood.
When Krishna became mature, he performed his duty and happened to kill KANSA, to protect the people from his Tyranny and to establish Dharma.
Apart from this, Lord Krisha had numerous tasks of his birth. He was the one who took part in the great battle of the MAHABHARATA, where he stood with Pandavas to protect DHARAM, and during this battle, his conversation with ARJUNA resulted in the great teaching of GEETA, one of the highly renowned enlightenment texts.
Importance of Krishna Janmastami Festival
Krishan Janmastami Festival is celebrated as the birth day of Lord Krishna, one of the eight avatars of Lord Vishnu, who is one of the popular Hindu gods and is also regarded as the lord of protector/preserver.
Krishna Janmastami Festival is associated with the teaching of Lord Krishna, which has been documented in Bhagwat Geeta, and also his cleansing of demonic power to protect people in the time of trouble, to balance between good and evil.
How is the Krishna Janmastami Festival Celebrated in Nepal
Hinduism is a unique religion in itself with no single founder, no single scripture, and no commonly agreed set of teachings or philosophy. This makes the religion unique in itself, with different ways of worship and celebration throughout the Hindu community depending upon the place of their geographic locations.
Midnight Celebration: Lord Krishna is believed to have been born during midnight, so devotees gather around the religious sites and temples for celebration. They sing and dance religious songs, praising the lord for his activities towards mankind.
Moreover, they prepare meals as gratitude, make the idol bath, and also arrange a baby cradle swing to welcome his birth.
Fasting and Feasting: Devotees also fast till midnight of that particular day. Some devotees spend the whole day without consuming meals, including water, and some do with only meals and have fruits.
As the night ends, they consume PRASAD, which was made as a meal for lord Krishna. This is offered to all the devotees visiting the temple and sites, and ends the midnight celebration.
Cultural Program: The entire day of Krishna Janmastami is spent with the cultural program at the temple and sites. Religious process passes through the villages/areas and gathers in a particular location, and singing, dancing, and drama are performed.
Through songs and dance, the teachings and activities of Krishna are performed, and people gather around to observe them. On this day, parents make their children wear the dress of lord Krishna.
Tips to Know before your plan
1. When is the Krishna Janmastami Festival in 2025
- Krishna Janmastami Festival in Nepal falls on August 16, 2025. This is an official holiday in Nepal.
2. Is there any dress code to participate in the Krishna Janmastami Festival
- No, visitors can visit the temples, sites, and participate without any dress obligation.
3. When is the best time to visit temples and sites during the Krishna Janmastami Festival
- The interesting time to visit temples and sites during the Krishna Janmastami Festival is after 8 AM
