Janmashtami 2022: Places to visit for Janmashtami and Dahi Handi celebrations

Janmashtami 2022: The special day is almost here. Krishna Janmashtami is celebrated every year to observe the birth anniversary of Lord Krishna. This year, Krishna Janmashtami will be celebrated on August 18 and August 19. On this day, the devotees of Lord Krishna deck up in new clothes and offer puja to the lord. They also enact dance dramas based on the llife and valour of lord Krishna and decorate their homes. Janmashtami is the also the time when Dahi Handi celebrations take place. Associated with the celebrations of Krishna Janmashtami, Dahi Handi is an event where a clay pot filled with butter and yoghurt and other milk-based food items are hanged at a considerable height from the ground. Young boys from the communities and the neighbourhoods, then form a human pyramid and try to reach the pot or break the pot.

This event is associated with the life story of lord Krishna who was known to steal butter and curd from the neighbourhood houses of Gokul as a child, with his friends. This is how lord Krishna also got the name makhan chor.

ALSO READ: Krishna Janmashtami 2022: Rules to keep in mind if you are fasting

On Janmashtami, Dahi Handi celebrations take place all over the country with a lot of grandeur and pomp. We have curated a list of temples and places that you can visit to watch and experience the Janmashtami and Dahi Handi celebrations:

Banke Bihari Temple, Vrindavan: One of the famous Krishna temples in India, Banke Bihari temple is based in Vrindavan. On the day of Janmashtami, devotees throng the temple to offer their puja.

Shri Krishna Temple, Udupi: Based in Karnataka, Shri Krishna Temple experiences thousands of devotees on the day of Janmashtami and Dahi Handi.

Guruvayur Temple, Kerala: This temple is known as the holy abode of lord Vishnu on earth. It is also called the Dwarka of south India.

Ghatkopar: For Dahi Handi preparations, Ghatkopar is thronged by Bollywood big names such as Shah Rukh Khan and Ameesha Patel. For Dahi Handi celebrations, Bollywood celebrities also take part.

Thane: Mumbai is famous for Dahi Handi celebrations. Thousands throng the places and engage in dance and songs with the human pyramid trying to reach the clay pot filled with butter, curd and other milk-based food items. Thane is one of the most-visited places during Janmashtami and Dahi Handi celebrations.