KRISHNA JANMASHTAMI which is also known as Gokulashtami  and Sri Krishna Jayanti,  is just days away and the followers who celebrate this auspicious occasion have started their preparations.  On September 4, 2026, people will celebrate the birth of Indian God Lord Krishna who is considered the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu one of the three holy trinity from Hindu Mythology. The day is celebrated across India with laughter, vrata (Fasting), midnight puja, devotional singing and dancing.

Temples are crowded with people dressed in Indian attires and flower Jewelry. People offer  Makhan (Butter), Mishri (rock sugar), kheer, sweets, Panchamrit, fruits and chappan bhog to lord Krishna during the festival and pray in front of them. If you are also a Krishna Bhakta (devotee) and want to celebrate the festival the best way, here are a few things which you should prepare beforehand.

If you are a trendsetter and love to dress up, this is your chance to grab a beautiful ethnic dress for Janmashtami. People dress up for the festival in traditional ethnic clothes inspired by the colours and stories of Lord Krishna. Mainly, people dress in yellow for the occasion, or peacock blue and green, but you can wear any colour you want. The reason behind these colours is that yellow is associated with Lord Krishna’s traditional attire, known as Pitambar, while peacock blue and green are linked to his peacock feather and the blue skin tone described in some mythological traditions. 

Girls at the festival are most hyped about getting their dresses, which include flared lehengas, shararas, or Anarkalis paired with traditional Jewelry and floral accessories, including gajras (flower garland) . Children are dressed as Radha and Krishna with cute mukuts (crowns) and flutes. There are many online e-commerce platforms where you can buy dresses, as well as many places where you can go to local markets to shop for the festival.

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As the festival comes near, you need to buy some puja essentials, idol adornments, and traditional foods to worship the god at midnight and celebrate his birthday. You can buy Ladoo Gopal (the child form of Krishna) if you are starting the tradition. You need to buy a Jhula (cradle) for baby Krishna, Shringar (adornments), puja samagri, including Panchamrit ingredients (milk, curd, ghee, honey, and sugar), Gangajal, chandan (sandalwood), tulsi leaves, and a ghee lamp.

Other things include sweets like peda, laddoo, and kheer, along with festive snacks. As prashad (offering), white butter and mishri (rock sugar) are given, which are considered his favourite foods according to mythology. You can buy all these through e-commerce websites and apps and get instant delivery from platforms that provide delivery within one or two hours. You can also buy gifts for loved ones, such as idols, traditional sweets, and devotional items.

During Janmashtami, people fast until midnight, when Lord Krishna is believed to be born, or sometimes until the morning of the next day, depending on their family traditions. For the day, the food is different. People eat fresh fruits, dairy products, and alternative foods prepared without salt and other regular ingredients.

Foods that are allowed include fruits, singhara atta (water chestnut flour), kuttu ka atta (buckwheat flour), sama ke chawal (barnyard millet), rajgira (amaranth), sabudana (tapioca pearls), makhana (foxnuts), boiled potatoes or sweet potatoes, and dairy products such as milk, curd, paneer, etc. If you need to add seasoning to your food, you can use sendha namak (rock salt) instead of regular salt.

Popular dishes for the vrat (fasting) include Sabudana Khichdi, Kuttu ki Puri and Aloo Sabzi, Makhana Kheer, etc. If you want to eat out while you are fasting, there are many food outlets that provide fasting food on their menus for devotees. These include Bikanervala, ISKCON Temple complexes, local sweet shops and halwais, Zomato, Swiggy, and many other quick-commerce platforms.

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Delhi celebrates all festivals like its own, from Ganesh Chaturthi to Durga Pooja and from Onam to Chhath Puja. During Janmashtami, the celebrations are also grand, with people singing songs and dancing wholeheartedly. There are many vibrant Krishna temples and festive community celebrations in Delhi to mark the festival. Major celebrations happen at ISKCON Temple, Akshardham Temple, Birla Mandir, etc, where very large crowds gather to celebrate the occasion with their loved ones and the community.

Apart from these temple celebrations, where the temples are decorated with diyas and flowers, there are also several cultural events organised in stadiums and other places. There are events such as DJJS Shri Krishna Janmashtami Mahotsav, Dwarka Bhakti Dance Floor by Backstage Siblings at KD Jadhav Stadium, Delhi, and many other events in different areas to mark the celebration. The celebrations don’t end here, as the next day of Janmashtami, when Dahi Handi is celebrated, also sees many events related to Dahi Handi. 

(Proofread by Vaishnavi Sivadasan)

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