Janmashtami — vrat katha & puja vidhi
Janmashtami celebrates the birth of Krishna on the Ashtami of the dark fortnight of Bhadrapada (Shravana in the amanta calendar). Devotees fast, sing and keep vigil until midnight — the hour of his birth — then bathe and dress the image of baby Krishna, place it in a cradle, and break the fast with sweets.
Updated Thursday, 29 October 2026
Next date
The next Janmashtami is on Wednesday, 25 August 2027 (in 300 days). The Nishita (midnight) puja is 00:01 (26 August 2027) – 00:46 (26 August 2027). All times are for New Delhi; your city can differ by a few minutes.
How we work it out
- How the date is found — Our Panchang engine finds the tithi from the real Sun and Moon and applies the vrat’s classical rule (the tithi at sunrise, at pradosh, at moonrise or at midnight) against New Delhi’s sunrise and sunset. These dates are checked against Drik Panchang’s New Delhi calendar.
Janmashtami — timings (New Delhi)
- Date: Wednesday, 25 August 2027
- Ashtami tithi: 20:25 (24 August 2027) – 19:20
- Nishita (midnight) puja: 00:01 (26 August 2027) – 00:46 (26 August 2027)
The midnight hour, when Krishna’s birth is celebrated.
Upcoming dates
- Wednesday, 25 August 2027: Janmashtami
in 300 days - Sunday, 13 August 2028: Janmashtami
in 654 days
A gentle note
A vrat is about devotion, not perfection. If you miss a step, cannot find an item or need to eat, that is fine — do what you can with a sincere heart. Anyone unwell, pregnant, elderly or on regular medicines should keep a lighter fast or skip it, and check with a doctor. BornClock does not sell pujas or any items.
What Janmashtami is
The birth of Krishna is told in the Mahabharata tradition, the Puranas and the Gita Govinda; the 10th book of the Bhagavata Purana is recited on this day. It usually falls in August or September. It is also called Ashtami Rohini.
Source: Wikipedia — Krishna Janmashtami
The katha
King Kamsa of Mathura heard a prophecy that the eighth son of his sister Devaki would cause his death, so he imprisoned Devaki and her husband Vasudeva and killed their first six sons. Krishna was born as their eighth son. At his birth the guards fell asleep and the prison doors opened; Vasudeva carried the baby across the Yamuna to Gokul, to his foster parents Yashoda and Nanda.
Source: Wikipedia — Krishna Janmashtami
What you need
- An image of baby Krishna (Bal Krishna) and a small cradle
- Water for the bath, new clothes and ornaments for the image
- Sandalwood and saffron, flowers, incense and a lamp
- Food offering (naivedya) and sweets; betel leaf with areca nut
Source: Drik Panchang — Janmashtami puja vidhi · Wikipedia — Krishna Janmashtami
Puja vidhi — simple steps
- Fast through the day, with devotional singing; keep vigil until midnight.
- At midnight, meditate on Krishna and invite him into the image (dhyana, avahana); offer a seat and water for his feet, hands and sipping.
- Bathe the image (snana), dress it in new clothes and the sacred thread, and offer sandal and saffron, ornaments and flowers.
- Offer incense, a lamp and naivedya, then betel with areca nut and dakshina.
- Do the aarti, walk around the deity (pradakshina), bow, and ask forgiveness for any mistakes (kshamarpana).
- Place baby Krishna in the cradle, then break the fast with food and sweets.
Source: Drik Panchang — Janmashtami puja vidhi · Wikipedia — Krishna Janmashtami
When it falls and what time to keep
Our calendar keeps the Smarta date: the day whose midnight (Nishita) falls in Krishna Ashtami — moved to the next day when Ashtami only begins after that day’s sunset (as Drik Panchang does). ISKCON and other Vaishnava calendars sometimes keep Janmashtami a day later. This page shows the Nishita (midnight) puja window for New Delhi.
Source: BornClock festival calendar (dates checked against Drik Panchang, New Delhi) · Wikipedia — Krishna Janmashtami
Traditions differ
In Maharashtra, Dahi Handi — breaking a hanging pot of curd — is celebrated the day after. Mathura and Vrindavan, and also Manipur, Gujarat and Rajasthan, stage the Rasa Lila. In Tamil Nadu small footprints are drawn from the doorway to the prayer room for the child Krishna. In Kashmiri Pandit and Odia temple traditions the image is given abhisheka at midnight. Amanta calendars call the month Shravana and purnimanta calendars Bhadrapada — it is the same day.
Source: Wikipedia — Krishna Janmashtami
What these terms mean
Tap a term for a plain-language explanation.
Sources
- Wikipedia — Krishna Janmashtami
- Drik Panchang — Janmashtami puja vidhi
- BornClock festival calendar (dates checked against Drik Panchang, New Delhi)
The katha and vidhi above are paraphrased in plain language from the sources listed; customs vary by family and region — your family tradition comes first.
Other vrats
Frequently Asked Questions
Source: Wikipedia — Krishna Janmashtami