Sri Krishna Avatar

Sri Krishna Avatar is known to be the most illustrious avatar among the 10 avatars of Maha Vishnu.

To wipe out the evil and to retrieve morality, to remove adharma from the earth, Sri Krishna was born.

The indications of a change on earth started appearing. The nature turned very pleasant. Miracles manifesting as a work of God started happening.

Due to the atrocious rule of the wicked king Kamsa, all Yagnas and Yagas had been interrupted. Now the fire in the yagnashalas rekindled. The rivers and lakes which had a period of draught suddenly got filled with water. The plants in the rivers bloomed.

All the trees and plants on the earth seemed to be bearing flowers and fruits all of a sudden. The fragrance of the flowers filled the earth.

The nature seemed extra ordinarily beautiful with greenery everywhere. People who spent the days in fear and sorrow got a feeling of vigor and peace. They deeply felt a strange but auspicious thing is going to happen.

Thus the month of Chingam started. On a Wednesday when it was ashtami and Rohini nakshatra, in the middle of the night, a baby was born to Vasudev and Devaki. They were astonished to see the elegance of the baby born to them. That was Krishna avatar. Lord gave the Vishwaroopa darshanam to His parents.

Ashtami Rohini

The celebration of the birth of Sri Krishna is known as Ashtami Rohini in Kerala. It is the same Janmashtami celebrated in North India. Ashtami Rohini falls on the month of Chingam on Rohini Nakshatra and Ashtami thithi.

Ashtami Rohini is also known as Sree Krishna Jayanthi, Janmashtami and Gokulashtami. Sree Krishna’s birth or Avataram took place at midnight, so people fast on the previous day and keep ‘jagaran’ till midnight.

All Sree Krishna temples celebrate Ashtamirohini. Very grand celebrations take place in Guruvayoor temple. This year 2011, the celebrations are on August 21 st and 22 nd.

The Avataram of MahaVishnu as Sree Krishna was on AshtamiRohini. At Guruvayoor Bhagavatha Sapthaha Yagna is conducted during these days and the Avatara part is narrated on this day. Thousands of devotees come to Guruvayoor every year to have a darshan of Guruvayoorappan in His Saisava roopam, as that will be the alankaram of the vigraham on that day.

After the Darshan all take part in the Prasadam oonu, on Kannan’s Birthday. It is a feast. The previous day people fast or take light food once a day, without rice. They spend the day on Bhajan and listening to Bhagavatham recitals.

Appam and Ada and Palpayasam are the main Naivedyam on AshtamiRohini.