HOW TO DO YOUR JANMASHTAMI PUJA AT HOME

Janmashtami -

HOW TO DO YOUR JANMASHTAMI PUJA AT HOME

Introduction1

Krishna Janmashtami, also known just as Janmashtami, is a Hindu festival that is celebrated annually. It marks the birth of Lord Krishna, who is the eighth avatar of Lord Vishnu (who is one of the principal deities of Hinduism). Lord Vishnu is known as the preserver within the Trimurti, alongside the other two in the trimurti: Brahma and Lord Shiva.

There are many ways to celebrate Janmashtami, such as fasting, chanting songs, prayers, doing pujas and making and eating special food. In this blog post we will be talking mainly about how to do a Janmashtami Puja at home.

Celebrations Around India1

In Maharashtra, India, people break an item called the Dahi Handi as part of the festival. The Dahi Handi is basically a pot of yogurt. This is because stories have it that Lord Krishna, as a baby, would try to steal yogurt from others to eat because he enjoyed it so much. Hence a lot of people had to start placing their dairy items on higher shelves to avoid it getting stolen.

In Gujarat and Rajasthan, people celebrate a similar tradition to Maharashtra called Makhan Handi, in which butter is used. Many others perform dances at temples and sing bhajans.

In West Bengal people fast and worship Lord Krishna until midnight as part of Janmashtami celebrations. This is also done in other states in India, but some rituals may differ slightly.

Preparing for Your Puja

Typically, Hindus observe a fast that lasts the entire day before completing the puja. To prepare for the puja, you will need several items. Below is a full list of items needed for the puja.

  • A cradle or a jhula for baby Krishna
  • A metal idol of baby Krishna
  • A small flute to be kept aside Shri Krishna's idol
  • A dress for baby Krishna
  • Jewellery/ornaments for Shri Krishna
  • Flowers for decoration of the jhula and offerings
  • Tulsi leaves
  • Chandan
  • Kumkum
  • Akshat
  • White butter (unsalted) for Naiveidhya
  • Mishri (for Naivedhya)
  • Kalash
  • Gangajal or regular water
  • Oil lamp
  • Oil and wicks for lighting lamp
  • Incense sticks (Agarbatti)
  • Dhoop
  • Fruits such as Apple, Banana, Sweet Lime, Pear, Guava and any other fruit
  • Paan
  • Supari
  • Dakshina (currency notes or coins)
  • Whole coconut with its husk

Just about all the items you need to perform the Janmashtami Puja can be found on India Sajawat and Puja Hut’s website at the following links:

For Janmashtami Items:

For Puja Samagri:

For Incense Sticks:

For any other items you may not find at the links above, simply call our store at 905-458-6808 and we would be happy to assist you with your Janmashtami puja shopping.

Performing The Puja3

Below is a list of the steps taken to perform the Janmashtami puja.

  1. To start, you should chant Lord Krishna’s name to connect your soul with his soul.
  2. Place the idol of Lord Krishna on a Jhula. If you do not have a Jhula, an alternative way to do this can be to place the idol on wood decorated with Rangoli.
  3. Pour some water on Lord Krishna’s feet and then offer water to Lord Krishna.
  4. Drink some water from your palm and then bathe Lord Krishna with water.
  5. Put the baby Krishna dress on Lord Krishna.
  6. Put the sacred Janeyu diagonally over the left shoulder and under the right arm.
  7. Offer the Chandan paste, jewelry, mor mukut, flute, flowers, tulsi leaves, incense sticks, dhoop, oil lamp, Bhog, Makhan, platter (of fruits, coconut, paan, supari, haldi and kumkum), and money in that order.
  8. Sing the Kunj Bihari Aarti.
  9. Get up and turnaround from your right.
  10. Offer flowers to Lord Krishna, do pranam and then bow.
  11. Ask Lord Krishna for forgiveness for any mistakes you may have committed during the puja. 

 Happy Janmashtami to all of us from India Sajawat & Puja Hut

 

 

 

 

 

 

References

 

  1. Wikimedia Foundation. (2021, August 7). Krishna Janmashtami. Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krishna_Janmashtami.
  2. Janmashtami 2020: Here's the list Of Puja SAMAGRI for SHRI KRISHAN GOKULASHTAMI. Janmashtami puja samagri list| Shri Krishna Janmashtami 2020: Here's the list of the Puja Samagri for Gokulashtami. (n.d.). https://www.timesnownews.com/spiritual/religion/article/shri-krishna-janmashtami-2020-heres-the-list-of-puja-samagri-for-gokulashtami/634388.
  3. Janmashtami Puja Vidhi and PUJA Samagri: Know how to perform Shri KRISHNA'S puja on Gokulashtami. Janmashtami puja vidhi. (n.d.). https://www.timesnownews.com/spiritual/religion/article/shri-krishna-janmashtami-puja-vidhi-know-how-to-perform-lord-krishnas-puja-on-gokulashtami/634672.
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