New Delhi: The newly elected President, Droupadi Murmu on Friday greeted the nation on the occasion of Janmashtami. She tweeted that the life of Krishna teaches us to do selfless deeds for the welfare of the people.
"Hearty greetings to all the countrymen on the auspicious occasion of Janmashtami. From the life of Lord Krishna, we can imbibe the qualities of providing education by doing selfless deeds for the welfare of the people. I wish that this holy festival gives inspiration to all of us to give priority to everyone`s interest with thought, word and deed."
Similarly, Prime Minister Narendra Modi greeted the citizens of India on the auspicious occasion. "Hearty greetings to all the countrymen on the auspicious occasion of Janmashtami. May this festival of devotion and gaiety bring happiness, prosperity and good fortune to everyone`s life. Long live Shri Krishna!," tweeted PM Modi today.
Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar also extended greetings and said that the teachings of Lord Krishna in the Bhagavad Gita have been a great source of inspiration for humanity.
"His timeless teachings in the Bhagavad Gita have been a great source of inspiration for humanity. May this Janmashtami bring peace, harmony & happiness in our lives," the Vice President Secretariat tweeted, quoting Dhankhar.
Janmashtami or Krishna Janmashtami is celebrated to mark the birth of Lord Krishna who is the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Devotees observe a fast and visit temples to offer prayers. Rituals include decorating a cradle with an idol of the deity and worshipping it. Children in costumes perform plays and dance to songs of Lord Krishna.
In Maharashtra and Gujurat and certain parts of Andhra Pradesh, Dahi Handi competitions are conducted, in which, participants known as Govindas create a human pyramid to break a pot filled with milk-based food like butter or curd hanging mid-air. This is based on the story of Krishna and his friends stealing butter and curd from different houses in Vrindavan - Krishna's birthplace.