About this Holiday
Janmashtami celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu, at midnight in Mathura. The night is marked by fasting, kirtan (devotional singing), and elaborate tableaux of scenes from Krishna's life. At midnight, the birth is celebrated with the swinging of cradles and the distribution of prasad. The dahi handi tradition — forming human pyramids to break a pot of yogurt hung high — is especially popular in Maharashtra. Mathura and Vrindavan host the grandest celebrations nationwide.