Shree Krishna Janmashtmi is one of the most important days of the year for devotees of the personal form of God. It is the day that supreme God appeared in the beautiful form of Krishna and began revealing his childhood leelas, which charmed the heart of even God Shiv. He walked this earth for 125 years before returning to His Divine abode. The word ‘janm’ literally means ‘to appear’. It is a Divine secret that, although Shree Krishna appeared and lived on this earth for 125 years, He was never born. He appeared in front of His mother Devaki in His full-grown form, in complete decorations and attire, but He was never present inside her in the form of a fetus, nor was He born from her womb. In other words, His appearance was a Divine ‘birth’.

The age old tradition in India has been to celebrate Shree Krishna’s birthday on the 8th night after the August full moon. This is the significance of the word ‘ashtmi’, which means ‘eighth’. This festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm all over India, and especially in the place of Krishna’s childhood leelas, Braj, India.