\nKrishna, the 8th incarnation of Vishnu, took birth 1000s of years ago, to destroy the evil forces controlling the world. It was prophesied that Krishna would be responsible for the death of his evil uncle Kamsa, the ruler of Vrishini whose capital was Mathura. He imprisoned Krishna\u2019s parents Vasudev and Devaki and killed each child born to them, in an attempt to negate the prophecy.<\/p>\n
The night of Krishna\u2019s birth was a night steeped in magic and divine intervention. The shackles fell off his father\u2019s ankles, the prison doors swung open, and all the guards slept as if drugged. He escaped from the prison with his new-born son under the cloak of darkness and a torrential downpour. Krishna was left with Nanda of Gokul and his wife Yashoda who raised him as their own. As a youth Krishna did indeed slay the evil Kamsa and free his parents from prison.<\/p>\n This was the beginning of one of the most majestic lifetimes seen on the planet Earth by an incarnation of the Divine. The celebration of Lord Krishna\u2019s birth is therefore a day of recounting the amazing events of his life (Rasaleela), fasting, singing bhajans, preparing food offerings, and kirtan dancing.<\/p>\n Janmashtami at ISKCON<\/strong><\/p>\n ISKCON, heart of the Hare Krishna movement, begins planning for this auspicious festival months in advance. Thousands of devotees visit the ISKCON temple on the day of Janmashtami to be a part of the festivities, receive the blessings, and eat the freely offered vegetarian meals. Devotees are encouraged to use this day to: \u201cPrepare for this spiritual festival by recalling the things in life for which you are grateful; by forgiving your enemies; by tolerating others mistakes; by expressing happiness for whatever God gives you on this day. Most of all, be respectful to devotees and other pilgrims. This is the success formula for lots of blessings on this special day\u201d says ISKCON devotee Radhadesh, Belgium.<\/p>\n Roots of the Crowd-Pulling Dahi Handi<\/strong><\/p>\n One of the more famous stories from Krishna\u2019s childhood was his love for curd and butter. In the village of Vrindavan where he grew up, these items were stored in clay pots and hung from the ceiling in the kitchen. In order to get to it, Krishna and his friends would form a human pyramid to climb to that height and steal the butter or curd.<\/p>\n![\"Vasudev](\"http:\/\/globalpress.hinduismnow.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/3\/2016\/08\/Vasudev-Takes-Baby-Krishna-to-Safety.jpg\")
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