Significance of Janmashtami, historical background of the birth of Lord Krishna : VGreets.com

	2007 Janmashtami ,on 3rd/4th September	Bookmarks del.icio.us \| Digg it \| \| Simpy \|

Janmashtami or Krishnashtami is one of the most popular Hindu festivals and celebrated with great enthusiasm. All across the nation, cities and states don a festive look during the Janmashtami celebration. Significance of Janmashtami relates to the historical background of the birth of Lord Krishna. Kans, the king of Mathura was a very cruel tyrant. His tyranny spared no one, even the sages had to bear the brunt of this.Finally the gods could tolerate no more of it and in a dream Kans was told that his evil reign would be brought to an end by his sister Devaki's son who would kill him.

The cowardly tyrant immediately threw his sister Devaki and her husband Vasudev in prison so that he could kill all the sons born to Devaki. In captivity Devaki bore six sons, each of them were killed by Kans.
On the night of the birth of their seventh child, the prison guards fell into a deep sleep and the doors were unlocked. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Vasudev slipped out of the prison and whisked away the child safely to the neighbouring kingdom which was ruled by king Nand, across the Yamuna river.
At that time the Yamuna was in spate, but when the waters touched the feet of the Baby Sri-Krishna, the waters parted making a channel for Vasudev to pass.