Ashok Sharma
The Festival of Shri Krishna Janmashtami,commonly known as ‘Thakarein/ Thougrein Da Vart’, in local parlance, is one of the eagerly awaited festivals in Duggar.Like elsewhere in the country,this festival is celebrated across Duggar with great enthusiasm and religious fervour. This vibrant festival is celebrated every year on the 8th day ( Ashtami ) of the Krishna Paksha (dark fortnight) in the month of Bhadrpaada, to mark the birthday of Lord Krishna, the 8th incarnation of Lord Vishnu,who was born to Devki and Vasudeva in the Dwapara Yug at Mathura.
On this festival, devotees perform elaborate rituals,decorate houses,bazars and temples, observe fast, sing devotional hymns,enact the significant events in Lord Krishna’s life and read the holy Srimad Bhagvad Gita.Lord Krishna is love personified and he is the unmatched warrior,statesman, teacher and Lord of Yogis.In Bhagavad Gita,Lord Krishna says ‘I am not the body; I am the consciousness which is present all over and in everything’.His birth is celebrated as the triumph of ‘good over evil’,symbolizing the divine intervention to restore dharma (cosmic order) when there is decline of righteousness in the society.The legend of Krishna’s birth in a prison in Mathura, under the oppressive rule of King Kansa ( Lord Krishna ‘s maternal uncle) and his subsequent escape to Gokul, forms the crux of the Janmashtami narrative.
This day is celebrated in Duggar with exuberance and religious fervour. On this day,people take a bath and visit temples to pay obeisance to Lord Krishna and seek his blessings. People are in high spirits throughout the day. Kites are flown throughout the day by the children and the elders. The sky is filled with the colourful kites of various shapes and sizes. This sight adds to the delight of those a the kite flyers and those who watch this mesmerising sight. The kite flyers try their best to cut the strings of others’ kites to prove their mettle and skill. For the last few years, Kite festival is organised by the Directorate of Tourism Jammu on the eve of Janamashtami.This festival witnesses huge crowd of people from different parts of Duggar.Competitions in kite flying are held and winners are awarded prizes.In schools and the colleges, Janamashtmi is celebrated a day before because Krishna Janamashtmi is a holiday. Students,attired in beautiful dresses,enact various events in Lord Krishna’ s life and mesmerize the spectators.
On this day ,all temples,especially the Radha- Krishna temples are tastefully decorated to mark this festival of religious fervour and festivity.The temples witness huge rush of devotees who throng to catch a glimpse of Lord Krishna and pay obeisance. The idol of Lord Krishna is bathed, adorned in new clothes and placed in a cradle, symbolising his birth.Devotional songs (Bhajans) are sung and dances (Raas leelas) are performed. Through Krishna Raas leelas, episodes from Lord Krishna’s life are dramatized with music, dance, and dialogue. These performances serve as a medium to impart moral and spiritual lessons to the audience, particularly the younger generation. All these activities fill the whole atmosphere with divine presence and spirituality.The ritual of Dahi-Handi (curd- pot) reenacts Lord Krishna’s childhood exploits of stealing butter and curd from the pots hung high in the houses of Gokul. Groups of young men, known as ‘Govindas’ form human pyramids to reach and break the pot containing curd, symbolizing the breaking of ego and ignorance to attain spiritual bliss. These contests witness lively participation of Govindas in temples and at some places in markets also add to the fervour of this auspicious day. The breaking of the Dahi Handi signifies the breaking of the barriers that separate the soul from the divine, urging devotees to transcend worldly attachments and seek union with the Supreme Being. Besides the participants, passers by too enjoy this fun filled event. The temples reverberate with prayers, which continue till midnight when the Aarti is performed amidst the ringing of bells. ‘Prasad’ and ‘charanamrit’ are distributed to the devotees & the celebrations come to an end. Now it is time for the devotees to break their fast. Fasting on Janmashtami is seen as a means to cleanse the body and mind, preparing oneself to receive the divine grace of Lord Krishna.
At many places across Duggar, Shobha Yatras depicting main events of Lord Krishna’ s life are taken out by various organisations such as Sanatan Dharam Sabha, J&K Dharmarth Trust, ISKCON etc. Devotees, attited in colourful costumes, recite Bhajans filling the whole atmosphere with religious fervour. Though functions are organised at every temple,the functions organised at Raghnath Temple Jammu, ISKCON temples at Muthi and Udhampur, Lakshmi Narayan Mandir, Gandhi Nagar have a grandeur of their own on this auspicious day. In rural areas, it is customary on this day to have swings in the swings tied with strong ropes to the branches of big trees such as Peepal, Banyan, Mango etc. Farmers avoid ploughing on this day as they consider it a sin to yoke the bulls on such an auspicious day.
Janamashtmi has great cultural significance too. This vibrant festival helps in bringng all communities together and thus, serves to reinforce social bonds and collective identity through shared rituals and festivities. The festival also has a significant economic impact, with markets bustling with the sale of fruits, kites, sweets, decorative items and religious paraphernalia. Artisans and craftsmen find a livelihood in making and selling idols of Lord Krishna, often depicting him as a playful child or a divine lover, reflecting the multifaceted nature of his personality. All this helps them to make both ends meet and feed their families. This festival also encourages devotees to reflect on the teachings of Krishna as expounded in the Bhagavad Gita, where he advocates for the path of righteousness, devotion, and selfless action.
To sum up, Janmashtami is a festival that encapsulates the rich tapestry of Indian culture, blending religious devotion with social celebration. It is the time when the divine becomes accessible to the mortal and the past is brought alive in the present. Through its rituals and festivities, Janmashtami reaffirms the eternal relevance of Lord Krishna’s teachings for us to lead a life of virtue, love and devotion. As the cradle of Krishna swings to the rhythm of devotional songs, it serves as a reminder of the timeless dance of the divine in the cosmos, inviting all to participate in the joyous celebration of life. It is the duty of the parents to motivate their wards to take active part in our traditional festivals and expose them to our rich cultural heritage so that they learn to appreciate, preserve, conserve and transmit it to the coming generations.
(The writer is Sr.Lect( Retd.) from SED,Govt of J& K)
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