Janmashtami 2020: When is Janmashtami 2020 in India? Check Date, Puja Timings, History, significance, and Importance
Shalini K | Updated Dec 28, 2020 11:48 AM
Janmashtami 2020
Janmashtami 2020 is celebrated on 11th August in India. Janmashtami is a day that marks the birth of Lord Krishna and is celebrated on Ashtami, the eighth day of Krishna Paksha in the month of Shravana or Badra, according to the Hindu calendar. Janmashtami falls on a different day each year according to the Gregorian calendar which is mostly in the month of August and sometimes in July or September.
Janmashtami is considered one of the important Hindu festivals in India. It is widely observed and is a gazetted holiday in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Jharkhand, Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Nagaland, Orissa, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
History of Janmashtami
Lord Krishna, who was born approximately 5000 years ago, is the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Lord Krishna can be found in Mahabharata's epic, where several stories revolve around Lord Krishna himself.
Krishna's birth, the eighth son of Devaki and Vasudeva of the Yadava clan, was not welcomed by his uncle Kansa as the great sage Narada told Kansa that he would be killed by the eighth child born of Devaki and Vasudeva. This filled Kansa with anxiety and anger, and he plotted to kill Krishna. So, Krishna's father, Vasudeva, took him to Gokul, where he grew up with foster parents Nanda and Yashoda.
According to mythological stories, Krishna overthrew the tyrant, King Kansa, later after dodging several assassination attempts by him. People started believing that this small boy is among the commoners to save them from all violent situations. Slowly, people of Nandgaon began to grandly celebrate Krishna's birth as they believed this day to be a fortunate one.
This festival initially originated in Gokul and slowly engulfed the Mathura region and later on the whole Uttar Pradesh state. Even after so many years, the entire country celebrates Lord Krishna's birth as he is the epitome of love, peace, faith, and friendship.
Significance of Janmashtami
Every year, people celebrate Krishna's birthday as they believe that he would protect them from sins. In one of the paragraphs of the Hindu scripture, Bhagavad Gita, Krishna states that whenever there is a predominance of evil and a decline of religion, he will reincarnate to destroy the evil and let the good take over. The primary significance of Janmashtami is to promote goodwill as it is to knock down evil intentions. Krishna Jayanti also celebrates togetherness and the festive occasion brings people together when families and friends join in to celebrate it.
When is Janmashtami 2020 in India?
Janmashtami will be celebrated in India on 11 August 2020 (Tuesday).
Janmashtami 2020 Time of Puja
Nishita Puja Time - 12:05 am to 12:48 am, Duration – 00 Hours 43 Mins, August 12
Dahi Handi - August 12, 2020 (Wednesday)
Parana as per Dharma Shastra
Parana Time – after 11:16 AM, August 12
Ashtami Tithi End Time – 11:16 AM
How is Janmashtami Celebrated?
Janmashtami is observed in India, especially in Mathura and Vrindavan (Brindaban), the scenes of Krishna's childhood and early youth. On a preceding day, devotees keep a vigil and fast until midnight, the traditional hour of his birth. Then the idol of Krishna is bathed in milk and water, dressed in new clothes, jewelry, and worshipped. Temples and household shrines are decorated with flowers; sweets are first offered to the god and then distributed to all members of the household as Prasada (the god's leftovers, which carry his favor). Ladies draw patterns of little children's footprints walking towards their house to denote infant Krishna's entry into his foster-home or their homes. The festival is celebrated all over India across several states that include Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Jharkhand, Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Nagaland, Orissa, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.
Janmashtami 2020 Images
Janmashtami 2020: Quotes from the Bhagavad Gita
Whatever happened, happened for the good. Whatever is happening, is happening for the good. Whatever will happen, will also happen for the good.
Change is the law of the universe. You can be a millionaire or a pauper in an instant.
You have the right to work, but never to the fruit of work.
The soul is neither born and nor does it die.
Three gates to this self-destructive hell: Lust, anger, and greed. Renounce these three.
When meditation is mastered, the mind is unwavering like the flame of a lamp in a windless place.
We’re kept from our goal not by obstacles, but by a clear path to a lesser goal.
Set your heart upon your work but never its reward.
When a person responds to the joys and sorrows of others as if they were his own, he has attained the highest state of spiritual union.
Calmness, gentleness, silence, self-restraint, and purity: these are the disciplines of the mind.
Janmashtami 2020 Wishes
Remember Lord Krishna's lessons which he taught in the Gita and always follow the path of dharma. Happy Janmashtami!
It was on this auspicious day that Lord Krishna was born to fight against inhumanity and save humankind. Let us reinforce our faith in God today. Happy Janmashtami!
Leave all your worries to Lord Krishna on this day and he will take care of you. Happy Janmashtami!
May Lord Krishna steal all your tensions and worries on this Janmashtami and give you all the love, peace and happiness. Happy Janmashtami!
May the steps of Lord Krishna come to your house and burn the lamp of happiness for you! Happy Janmashtami!
Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna… Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare… Wishing you a happy and blessed Krishna Janmashtami!
Lord Krishna said: Whatever belongs to you today, belonged to someone else yesterday and it will belong to someone else tomorrow. Don’t be illusioned by Maya. Maya is the root cause of all pain and misery. Happy Janmashtami!
Janmashtami 2020 - FAQs
Lord Krishna is the eighth reincarnation of Lord Vishnu who was born to the couple, Vasudeva and Devaki. His foster parents were Nanda and Yashodha
Janmashtami will be celebrated in India on 11 August 2020 (Tuesday).
Janmashtami is celebrated to mark the birth of Lord Krishna.
The Janmashtami tithi time ends at 11.16 AM.
Janmashtami is considered one of the important Hindu festivals in India. It is widely observed and is a gazetted holiday in Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Chandigarh, Delhi, Gujarat, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Jharkhand, Mizoram, Madhya Pradesh, Punjab, Nagaland, Orissa, Rajasthan, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, and Uttarakhand.