Today we celebrated in our house, the birthday of Lord Krishna. The annual festival is called “Sri Krishna Jayanthi” in this part of India (Tamil Nadu), in other parts of India it is celebrated as Krishna Janmashtami or Gokulashtami. The date in which it is celebrated varies between places /conventions/ calendar followed. Everywhere it is celebrated in reverence and commemoration of the birth of Krishna, the avatar of Lord Vishnu. Apart from the religious rituals (pooja) for me this involves getting to eat tasty snacks, sweet butter, Sukku (Dried Ginger) Jaggery, Seedai (Crunchy peanut like Rice snack) and many varieties of fruits. Lord Krishna as a child is supposed to have had an uncontrollable liking to butter which is remembered on this day, so the tradition of preparing mouth watering eatables continues.
In our houses from entrance to Prayer (Pooja) room we also draw with Rice flour Footsteps as Kolam art, this is to signify Baby Krishna to be walking into our house brining prosperity and blessings to all those living in it.
(Baby Krishna Footsteps as Kolam art)
(Picture of Lord Krishna along with small idols brought by my son)
(The tasty snacks of Gokulashtami)