Krishna Janmashtami · Gokulashtami, Krishna Jayanti
The midnight birth of Krishna: fasting, bhajans and Dahi Handi.
In 303 days Bhadrapada Krishna Ashtami (amanta: Shravana Krishna Ashtami)Times for New Delhi (IST)
Date, muhurat and timings
Rule: Bhadrapada Krishna Ashtami (purnimanta), at midnight
Krishna Janmashtami timings, Wednesday, 25 August 2027, New Delhi
| Ashtami tithi begins | 8:25 pm (24 Aug) |
|---|---|
| Ashtami tithi ends | 7:20 pm |
| Nishita kaal (midnight) | 12:01 am (26 Aug) – 12:45 am (26 Aug) |
| Midnight moment | 12:23 am (26 Aug) |
| Rohini nakshatra begins | 12:28 pm |
| Rohini nakshatra ends | 11:42 am (26 Aug) |
| Parana (breaking the fast) | 5:55 am (26 Aug) – 11:55 am (26 Aug) |
| Sunrise | 5:55 am |
| Sunset | 6:50 pm |
Smarta (householder) date. ISKCON may observe a day later in some years.
The time after that: Sunday, 13 August 2028
All times are for New Delhi, computed from the sidereal (Lahiri) panchang. They update themselves daily and roll over to the next date once the festival has passed. Today’s panchang for New Delhi
Janmashtami celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna at midnight in a prison cell in Mathura. Devotees fast, decorate a cradle, sing bhajans and welcome Krishna at midnight; the next day is Dahi Handi. Here is this year’s date, the nishita puja time and Rohini timings for your city.
Meaning and story of Krishna Janmashtami
Krishna was born to Devaki and Vasudeva in Kamsa’s prison and carried across the flooded Yamuna to Gokul. His childhood as a butter-loving, mischievous boy and his teachings in the Gita make him the most loved of avatars.
The ideal moment is Ashtami tithi at midnight with Rohini nakshatra, called Jayanti yoga. When those do not coincide, almanacs follow set rules, so Smarta and ISKCON dates sometimes differ by a day.
Puja vidhi, step by step
- Keep a fast through the day as health allows: fruit and milk, or a nirjala fast.
- Decorate a jhula (cradle) and a small Krishna (Laddu Gopal) idol with new clothes and flowers.
- Sing bhajans and read stories of Krishna’s birth in the evening.
- At nishita, bathe the idol with panchamrit, dress him, place him in the cradle and perform aarti.
- Offer makhan-mishri, panjiri and fruit; break the fast after the midnight puja or the next morning, per family custom.
What you will need
- Laddu Gopal idol and cradle
- New clothes, flute and peacock feather
- Panchamrit
- Makhan-mishri, panjiri, fruit
- Tulsi leaves
- Diya and bell
Do
- Plan the midnight puja for your city’s nishita time.
- Include children: they love dressing up as Krishna.
- Take care in Dahi Handi; use safety gear and nets.
- Read a chapter of the Gita.
Avoid
- Avoid grains and non-vegetarian food if fasting.
- Don’t let children climb Dahi Handi pyramids.
- Avoid waste of milk and butter.
- Don’t fast in a way that harms health.
A small note for each rashi this Krishna Janmashtami
Gentle, general suggestions for your Moon sign, not predictions. Every sign is welcome at every festival.
- Mesha Aries
Your gift: initiative, comfortable going first. Say the warm words out loud today; your partner and family will treasure your openness.
- Vrishabha Taurus
Your gift: patience and staying power. Show love in a practical way: cook, plan or help, the way you do best.
- Mithuna Gemini
Your gift: fast learning and adaptability. Plan a long, unhurried conversation with someone you love; listening is your gift today.
- Karka Cancer
Your gift: empathy and emotional intelligence. Let yourself be cared for too; receiving love gracefully is part of the festival.
- Simha Leo
Your gift: natural authority and presence. Say the warm words out loud today; your partner and family will treasure your openness.
- Kanya Virgo
Your gift: analytical precision. Show love in a practical way: cook, plan or help, the way you do best.
- Tula Libra
Your gift: diplomacy and tact. Plan a long, unhurried conversation with someone you love; listening is your gift today.
- Vrishchika Scorpio
Your gift: depth and focus. Let yourself be cared for too; receiving love gracefully is part of the festival.
- Dhanu Sagittarius
Your gift: optimism and faith. Say the warm words out loud today; your partner and family will treasure your openness.
- Makara Capricorn
Your gift: discipline and patience. Show love in a practical way: cook, plan or help, the way you do best.
- Kumbha Aquarius
Your gift: original, independent thinking. Plan a long, unhurried conversation with someone you love; listening is your gift today.
- Meena Pisces
Your gift: compassion and kindness. Let yourself be cared for too; receiving love gracefully is part of the festival.
Questions about Krishna Janmashtami
When is Krishna Janmashtami?
The next Krishna Janmashtami is on Wednesday, 25 August 2027: Bhadrapada Krishna Ashtami (purnimanta), at midnight. For New Delhi, nishita kaal (midnight): 12:01 am (26 Aug) – 12:45 am (26 Aug). Times change by city; choose yours above.
Why are there two Janmashtami dates some years?
Smarta (householder) calendars follow Ashtami at midnight, sometimes moving to the next day when that day has Rohini at midnight. ISKCON follows Ashtami at sunrise. When the rules disagree, two dates appear.
What is nishita puja?
The puja at the middle of the night, the time of Krishna’s birth. The window above is the eighth of fifteen night muhurtas for your city.
When should the fast be broken?
Many break it after the midnight puja. By dharma-shastra rules it is broken the next day after Ashtami and Rohini end; we show the next-morning time as a simple option.
What is Dahi Handi?
A celebration the next day, popular in Maharashtra, where teams form human pyramids to break a pot of curd hung high, recalling Krishna’s love of butter.
How are these dates worked out?
Every festival is fixed by a rule: the lunar month, the paksha, the tithi, and the part of the day (such as pradosh, madhyahna or nishita) in which that tithi must fall. Our engine finds the next time that happens from the sidereal (Lahiri) Sun and Moon and computes the muhurat from your city’s sunrise and sunset. Dates are checked against Drik Panchang. Where traditions differ, such as Smarta and Vaishnava reckoning, we say so above; your family custom or local priest always comes first.
Pair the festival with your own chart
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