Janam Ashtami is the eighth night of the dark fortnight of Bhadon, when Krishna was born. Punjab's temples spend the week building jhankis, scenes of his life with moving figures and lights, and on the night itself families tour them until midnight. The fast is broken after the birth, with panjiri and charnamrit. The next day is Gugga Naumi, for the snake-god of the Punjab countryside.
The story
Krishna's battlefield, Kurukshetra, lies in the old Punjab, and the Gita was spoken there. In Amritsar the Durgiana temple and its tank are the centre of the celebration.
Gugga Pir, honoured the day after, is a Rajput hero-saint with power over snakes, worshipped at small shrines called marhis by Hindus, Sikhs and Muslims alike.
How it is kept
- VratA fast until the midnight birth.
- JhankisTableaux in every temple, and children dressed as Radha and Krishna.
- Matki phodThe breaking of the curd pot.
- PanjiriRoasted flour with coriander, sugar and dry fruit, the prasad of the night.
Why this date
Janam Ashtami is the Ashtami of the dark fortnight of Bhadon, on the day it covers midnight.
Janam Ashtami in other years
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Friday | |
| 2027 | Tuesday | |
| 2028 | Sunday | |
| 2029 | Friday | |
| 2030 | Tuesday | |
| 2031 | Saturday |
More Punjabi festivals
17 AugustRakhriਰੱਖੜੀ
3 SeptemberGanesh Chaturthiਗਣੇਸ਼ ਚਤੁਰਥੀ
18 JulyGuru Purnimaਗੁਰੂ ਪੂਰਨਿਮਾ
7 OctoberDurga Ashtamiਦੁਰਗਾ ਅਸ਼ਟਮੀ
14 JulyDevshayani Ekadashiਦੇਵਸ਼ਯਨੀ ਇਕਾਦਸ਼ੀ
8 OctoberMaha Naumiਮਹਾਂ ਨੌਮੀ
Where to see Janam Ashtami
In Punjab
- Durgiana Temple, AmritsarPunjabLit and decorated, with crowds until past midnight.
- JalandharPunjabKnown for the scale of its temple jhankis.
- ChandigarhChandigarhThe ISKCON temple and the sector mandirs.
Across India
- MathuraUttar PradeshThe birthplace, with the midnight bathing of the infant.
- KurukshetraHaryanaJyotisar, where the Gita was taught.
- DwarkaGujaratThe city Krishna founded and ruled, on the western sea.