Festival companion · Tuesday 24 August 2027

Krishna Janmashtami

Midnight birth of Krishna. Everything for one festival in one place: the story to tell, the puja, a recipe, a craft for children and a shopping list.

Tell the story

The Story of Krishna Janmashtami

Wicked King Kamsa heard that the eighth child of his sister Devaki would destroy him, so he locked Devaki and her husband Vasudeva in prison. On a stormy midnight their eighth child, Krishna, was born.

Miraculously the chains fell open, the guards fell asleep and the doors swung wide. Vasudeva put the baby in a basket on his head and crossed the flooded Yamuna, while the serpent Shesha spread his hoods over them like an umbrella.

He left Krishna with Yashoda and Nanda in Gokul, where he grew up stealing butter, playing the flute and protecting his friends. We wait until midnight to welcome him, and draw his little footprints into our homes.

How families celebrate

Janmashtami celebrates Krishna's birth at midnight in a prison cell in Mathura. Families fast, decorate a cradle, draw tiny footprints from the door to the puja room, and break the fast after the midnight puja. Maharashtra celebrates the next day with Dahi Handi.

Little footprints at the door, a decorated cradle, butter and sweet poha, bhajans till midnight, children dressed as Krishna and Radha, and Dahi Handi.

At home

The Puja

A home puja anyone can follow, step by step, with the words to say.

Short puja 30 minutes · freeFull puja 90 minutes, at midnight · members

Before you begin

  1. Prepare

    Bathe, wear clean clothes and clean the puja place. Set out a lamp, incense, flowers, kumkum, turmeric, rice, water in a small vessel with a spoon, a bell and the naivedya (food offering).

  2. Light the lamp

    Light the lamp with ghee or oil and fold your hands.

    SayShubham karoti kalyanam arogyam dhana sampadah, shatru buddhi vinashaya deepa jyotir namostute

  3. Pray to Ganesha first

    Every puja begins with Ganesha, so the rest goes without obstacles. Offer a flower or a little rice.

    SayVakratunda mahakaya suryakoti samaprabha, nirvighnam kuru me deva sarva karyeshu sarvada

  4. Achamana and sankalpa

    Sip a spoon of water three times. Then hold a little water, rice and a flower and say, in your own language, who you are, where you are, and why you are doing this puja today. Let it fall in a plate.

    SayOm Keshavaya namah · Om Narayanaya namah · Om Madhavaya namah

Short puja

  1. Fast and decorate

    Fast during the day or keep it light. Decorate a small cradle with flowers.

  2. Draw footprints

    Draw little rice-flour footprints from the front door to the puja place.

  3. Midnight abhisheka

    At midnight, bathe a small Krishna idol with milk, curd, honey and water, dress it and place it in the cradle.

    SayOm Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya

  4. Rock the cradle

    Rock the cradle and sing.

    SayKrishnaya Vasudevaya Haraye Paramatmane, pranata kleshanashaya Govindaya namo namah

  5. Offer and break the fast

    Offer butter, sweet poha, fruit and milk sweets. Break the fast with this prasada.

Closing

  1. Naivedya

    Place the food before the deity, sprinkle a little water around it and offer it with your hands open.

    SayOm pranaya svaha · Om apanaya svaha · Om vyanaya svaha · Om udanaya svaha · Om samanaya svaha

  2. Aarti

    Wave the camphor or ghee lamp clockwise in front of the deity, ringing the bell, while the family sings an aarti or bhajan.

  3. Pradakshina and namaskara

    Turn around once clockwise where you stand, then bow or prostrate. Ask forgiveness for anything done wrongly.

    SayYani kani cha papani janmantara kritani cha, tani tani vinashyanti pradakshina pade pade

  4. Share the prasada

    Share the naivedya with everyone at home and with neighbours.

Full puja

The full puja follows the sixteen offerings, the shodashopachara, with every mantra in Devanagari, Kannada or Telugu script. It takes about 90 minutes, at midnight.

  1. DhyanaThink of the deity
  2. AvahanaInvite the deity
  3. AsanaOffer a seat (a flower or rice)
  4. PadyaWater to wash the feet
  5. ArghyaWater to wash the hands
  6. AchamaniyaWater to sip
  7. SnanaA bath (sprinkle water, or abhisheka)
  8. VastraClothes (a cloth or cotton thread)
  9. Yajnopavita / AbharanaSacred thread or ornaments
  10. GandhaSandal paste, turmeric and kumkum
  11. PushpaFlowers and leaves
  12. DhupaIncense
  13. DeepaA lamp
  14. NaivedyaFood
  15. TambulaBetel leaf and nut, or fruit
  16. Nirajana and namaskaraAarti, flowers and bowing

Members: open the full pujaShort of time? The short puja is complete on its own: flowers, a lamp and food offered with love are enough.

Print

Short puja guide to print

Every family and region has its own customs, so follow your elders or priest where they differ.

Across India

How Each Region Celebrates

The same festival has many faces. Find your region, and what to do at home.

South India

Gokulashtami and Sri Jayanti

The evening, sometimes a day later

  1. Draw small footprints with rice flour from the door to the altar, as if baby Krishna walked in.
  2. Make seedai, murukku, butter, aval (poha) and fruits for naivedya.
  3. Children dress as Krishna and Radha.
North India

Midnight birth puja

The night of the eighth day

  1. Fast during the day.
  2. At midnight, bathe a small idol of baby Krishna in milk, curd, ghee, honey and sugar (panchamrita), then place him in a decorated cradle.
  3. Sing bhajans, rock the cradle and break the fast with panjiri and makhan mishri.
West India (Maharashtra)

Dahi Handi

The next day

  1. A pot of curd is hung high and young people form a human pyramid to break it, as Krishna stole butter.
North India (Mathura, Vrindavan)

Jhulan

The week before

  1. Decorate a small swing with flowers and place Krishna on it.
  2. Children take turns to swing him gently while singing.

Cook together

Sweet Aval for Krishna

More recipes →
South India, Maharashtra · Krishna Janmashtami

Sweet Aval for Krishna

Sweet beaten rice: sihi avalakki in Kannada, vella aval in Tamil, gopalkala in Maharashtra

  • 10 min
  • Serves 4
Ingredients and method

Ingredients

  • 1 cup thick poha (beaten rice)
  • ½ cup grated jaggery
  • ½ cup grated coconut
  • ¼ tsp cardamom powder
  • 1 tbsp ghee or butter
  • A few cashews

Method

  1. Rinse the poha once and drain well.
  2. Mix the jaggery, coconut and cardamom until the jaggery softens.
  3. Add the poha and mix gently with your fingers.
  4. Top with a little butter and cashews fried in ghee.

Krishna's friend Sudama brought him a handful of beaten rice, so this is his favourite offering.

For children

Draw Krishna's footprints

You need

  • Rice flour paste (rice flour and water)
  • A small bowl
  • Your hand

Steps

  1. Mix rice flour with water to a thin paste.
  2. Make a fist and press the side of it into the paste.
  3. Press it on the floor to make a foot, then add five toes with a fingertip.
  4. Make a trail from the front door to the puja place.

Get ready

Shopping List

Tick things off as you go, or print the list for the Indian store.

Shopping list

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