Preparations have started for the birth anniversary of Lord Vishnu's incarnation Shri Krishna. According to the Hindu calendar, Shri Krishna was born on the Ashtami date of Bhadra month in Rohini Nakshatra. He was born for the destruction of sin and the destruction of untruth and unrighteousness.
On the occasion of Janmashtami, devotees worship the child form of Shri Krishna. Special festivals are organized in Krishna temples on this day. The birth anniversary of Bal Gopal is celebrated and bhajan kirtan is performed. Most of the temples are closed at night, but since Laddu Gopal was born at midnight, worship is done in the temples at midnight on Janmashtami.
On hearing the name of Shri Krishna, one remembers Mathura, Gokul and Vrindavan, where he spent his childhood. Later he became the king of Dwarka in Gujarat. There are ancient and famous temples of Shri Krishna at these places. There are many huge and ancient temples of Lord Krishna in South India too. If you are on a trip to South India during Janmashtami, you can visit these temples.
Guruvayur Temple, Kerala
Dwarka is located in Gujarat, but Guruvayur Temple, famous as Dwarka of South India, is located in Kerala. This temple is one of the most famous temples of South India and is also called Bhuloka Vaikunth. It is believed that when Dwarka was flooded, the idol of Krishna was washed away in the flood. Guru Brihaspati removed the idol from the flood and reinstalled it in Kerala. Due to this, this temple came to be called after Guru (Jupiter Dev) and Vayu (Vayu Dev).
Sri Krishna Matha Temple, Udupi
Sri Krishna Matha located in Udupi, Karnataka is a major Krishna temple. Here Lord Krishna is worshipped through nine windows. Built of wood and stone, the beautiful reflection of the temple is seen in the water of the pond located near this temple. A grand festival is organized here on the occasion of Janmashtami and people from far and wide come here for darshan and worship.
Parthasarathy Temple, Triplicane
Located in the city of Chennai, Parthasarathy Temple is a famous temple of Lord Krishna. This temple is located in Triplicane and worships four incarnations of Lord Vishnu—Krishna, Rama, Narasimha and Varaha. The history of this temple is centuries old and its architecture is very impressive.
Jagannath Puri, Odisha
One of the four Dhams of India is located in Puri, Odisha. Lord Krishna is seated in the Jagannath Puri temple with his elder brother Balram and sister Subhadra. It is believed that after the Dwapar era, Lord Krishna started living in Puri. Every year, Rath Yatra starts from Jagannath Puri, which is famous all over the world.
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