Birth of Lord Krishna. Midnight celebration. Dahi Handi.
Krishna Janmashtami marks the birth of Lord Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. He was born at midnight in a prison cell in Mathura to Devaki and Vasudeva, as the eighth child destined to end the cruel reign of King Kansa. On that stormy night, Vasudeva carried the newborn across the flooded Yamuna to safety in Gokul, and the river itself is said to have parted to let them pass. Krishna grew up among the cowherds of Gokul and Vrindavan, and later became the king of Dwarka in Gujarat.
Janmashtami honours that midnight moment. Devotees keep a fast through the day and stay awake until midnight, the Nishita Kaal, the very hour Krishna appeared. As the clock strikes twelve, temples come alive with conch, bells and bhajans, the idol of baby Krishna is bathed in panchamrit and placed in a decorated cradle, and everyone shares makhan and mishri, the butter and sugar that Krishna loved as a child.
Krishna is revered as the complete avatar of Vishnu, the one who gave the world the Bhagavad Gita on the battlefield of Kurukshetra. Janmashtami is a reminder of his message: do your duty with devotion, and the divine will always rise to protect dharma when cruelty grows. Keeping the fast and the night vigil is believed to wash away sins and bring the blessings of Krishna for peace, prosperity and the wellbeing of children in the family.
For Gujarat, Janmashtami is especially close to the heart, because Krishna made Dwarka his kingdom and is worshipped there as Dwarkadhish, the Lord of Dwarka. On Janmashtami the Dwarkadhish temple draws huge crowds, with darshan, flag hoisting and celebration through the night. Across Gujarat, homes and temples set up the baby Krishna in a jhula (cradle), children dress as Krishna and Radha, and the next day the streets fill with Dahi Handi, where young men form human pyramids to break a pot of curd hung high, just as the playful young Krishna once stole butter.
Krishna Janmashtami 2026 is on Friday, 4 September 2026 (Shravan Krishna Ashtami). The main Nishita puja is performed at midnight that night, marking the hour of Krishna’s birth.
Krishna was born at Nishita Kaal, around midnight. The exact window depends on your local sunset and sunrise, so check the 4 September Panchang for your city to see the precise Nishita muhurat.
Begin the fast at sunrise, taking either nirjala or phalahar. Spend the day in prayer and bhajan, stay awake for the night vigil, and perform the Krishna puja at Nishita (midnight). Break the fast after the midnight puja or the next morning.
Krishna ruled from Dwarka in Gujarat, where he is worshipped as Dwarkadhish. The Dwarkadhish temple holds grand night-long celebrations on Janmashtami, and across Gujarat the next day brings Dahi Handi, recalling Krishna’s love of butter.
Yes. Janmashtami is also called Gokulashtami (after Gokul, where Krishna was raised) and Krishna Jayanti. They all refer to the same celebration of Krishna’s birth on Shravan Krishna Ashtami.