Celebrating the eighth avatar

Celebrated across the regions of Goa, Maharashtra, Gujarat, and other regions, Janmashtami, the birth of Lord Krishna, is marked by different communities in different ways

| AUGUST 24, 2019, 02:00 AM IST

JAY JOSHI   


On account of being a prosperous and ancient civilization, and the largest producer of milk, India is often called as the land of milk and honey, and now the nation is set to celebrate the festival of the Lord of milk and honey, Lord Krishna. Janmashtami is a popular festival across regions such as Gujarat, Maharashtra and Goa.   

Coming to Goa, the state is home to large sections of Gujarati as well as Maharashtrian communities who perhaps add their own colours to Janmashtami celebrations across the State. While the festival is known mostly due to the tradition of Dahi Handi, which is mostly a feature of Maharashtra, Goans mostly mark celebrations with a number of preparations of ‘Poha’ which is said to be Lord Krishna’s favourite dish.   

“On the day of Janmashtami, celebrations generally take place at night as Lord Krishna was born at the midnight hour,” informs Saraswati Aradhye from Ramnathi, Ponda, who has been a part of Janmashtami celebrations at Ramnath temple for over a decade. “On the festival day, everyone in the house observes a fast, and we prepare around 7 to 10 different varieties of poha ranging from Fodniche pohe (poha with a tadka and potatoes), Kadhiche Pohe (poha dipped in takachi kadhi), Dahi Pohe (poha seasoned with ginger and curd) and Dudhache Pohe (poha dipped in sweetened milk) which is considered to be Lord Krishna’s most favourite dish. These poha dishes are also accompanied with a hog plum chutney (ambadichi chutney) as a side dish,” she informs. “ At night, after the Pooja is conducted, people visit each other’s house to have different types of poha and break the day-long fast. The next day is marked with the Dahi Handi, and the Dahi Handi celebrations at Nageshi temple here are especially known for their enthusiasm and fervour,” informs Aradhye.   

On the other hand, the Gujarati community too celebrates the festival at night. “We perform a pooja at night, then sing various aartis and bhajans. The day is marked by preparation of sweets and various other exotic delicacies. We especially prepare dishes of curd and butter on this day because there were Lord Krishna’s favourite items,” states Dhaval Mandavia, a restaurant owner from Panaji. “Being settled in Goa, we also share different varieties of poha with our friends, and in this way, a part of Goa has also been incorporated in our way of celebrating Janmashtami,” Mandvia adds.   

Ram Sawant, an advertising professional from Sawantwadi, Maharashtra, is more excited about Dahi Handi. “Dahi Handi is of course an exciting tradition, provided that one plays it carefully. In recent years, the courts have fixed rules about how high the human tower of Dahi Handi can be made, but I don’t think that takes the excitement away from the game,” says Sawant. “In my area, we also have this tradition of having a Gopalkala,” he informs.   

According to legends, when Lord Krishna used to take a lunch break while shepherding cows in the jungle, he used to mix all the different food items brought by his friends, and then distribute it to everyone around. Today, Gopalkala is a dish that is prepared as a special prasad on the day of Janmashtami. It is made of puffed rice, curd, sugar, cucumber, puffed jowar, and other assorted items.   

“Lord Krishna’s Puranik stories underline developing a spirit of brotherhood and camaraderie, and traditions such as Gopalkala and Dahi Handi are aimed at developing the same values among the society,” states Sawant. However, one wonders how much of these core goals these traditions serve at a time when Dahi Handi contests are leading people to compete against one another for cash prizes.   

Share this