Nandotsava () is a Hindu festival celebrated on the ninth day of the waning moon during the

Hindu month The Hindu calendar, also called Panchanga (), is one of various lunisolar calendars that are traditionally used in the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia, with further regional variations for social and Hindu religious purposes. They adop ...

Bhadrapada Bhadra or Bhadrapada or Bhādo or Bhadraba ( Bengali: ভাদ্র ''bhādro''; Hindi: भादों ''bhādo''; Sanskrit: भाद्रपद ''bhādrapada''; ''Bhādra''; ''Bhādravo''; ''Bhadraba''; ''Bhadô'') is the sixth month ...

, occurring the day after the festival of

Krishna Janmashtami Krishna Janmashtami (), also known simply as Krishnashtami, Janmashtami, or Gokulashtami, is an annual Hindu festival that celebrates the birth of Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu. In certain Hindu texts, such as the '' Gita Govinda ...

. This corresponds to late August to early September in the

Gregorian calendar The Gregorian calendar is the calendar used in most parts of the world. It went into effect in October 1582 following the papal bull issued by Pope Gregory XIII, which introduced it as a modification of, and replacement for, the Julian cale ...

. It honours

Nanda Nanda, including Nanda (南大), may refer to: Education * Nanchang University (南昌大学), a public university in Nanchang, Jiangxi, China * Nanhua University (南华大学), a public university in Hengyang, Hunan, China * Nanjing Universi ...

, the foster-father of the deity

Krishna Krishna (; Sanskrit language, Sanskrit: कृष्ण, ) is a major deity in Hinduism. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the Supreme God (Hinduism), Supreme God in his own right. He is the god of protection, c ...

. According to legend, following the deity's birth, his father,

Vasudeva Vasudeva (; Sanskrit: वसुदेव ), also called Anakadundubhi (''anakas'' and ''dundubhis'' both refer to ''drums'', after the musicians who played these instruments at the time of his birth), is the father of the Hindu deities Krishna ( ...

, carried the infant to the house of his cousin Nanda and

Yashoda Yashoda (, ) is the foster-mother of Krishna and the wife of Nanda. She is described in the Puranic texts of Hinduism as the wife of Nanda, the chieftain of Gokul, and the sister of Rohini. According to the Bhagavata Purana, Krishna was bo ...

to the settlement of

Gokulam ''Gokulam'' is a 1993 Indian Tamil-language romantic drama film directed by Vikraman. The film stars Jayaram (in his major Tamil debut) and Bhanupriya, with Arjun Sarja in a special appearance. It was released on 11 June 1993. Plot Chellappa ...

, where he was raised.

Literature

According to regional literature, Nanda is regarded to have organised festivities to celebrate the birth of Krishna. He is described to have invited the people of the region of

Vraja Braj, also known as Vraj, Vraja, Brij or Brijbhumi, is a region in India on both sides of the Yamuna river with its centre at Mathura district, Mathura-Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh state encompassing the area which also includes Palwal, Ballabh ...

to the occasion, including the village headsmen and the married and unmarried women of

Vrindavan Vrindavan (; ), also spelt Vrindaban and Brindaban, is a historical city in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India. It is located in the Braj, Braj Bhoomi region and holds religious importance for Hindus who believe that Krishna, one of ...

, notably the

gopis Gopi (, ) or Gopika in Hinduism are commonly referred to the group of milkmaids of Braj. They are regarded as the consorts and devotees of Krishna and are venerated for their unconditional love and devotion (''Bhakti'') to him as described ...

. Drummers were invited to play music on the occasion and

Brahmanas The Brahmanas (; Sanskrit: , International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: ''Brāhmaṇam'') are Vedas, Vedic śruti works attached to the Samhitas (hymns and mantras) of the Rigveda, Rig, Samaveda, Sama, Yajurveda, Yajur, and Athar ...

bathed the deity while chanting

mantras A mantra ( ; Pali: ''mantra'') or mantram (Devanagari: मन्त्रम्) is a sacred utterance, a numinous sound, a syllable, word or phonemes, or group of words (most often in an Indo-Iranian language like Sanskrit or Avestan) belie ...

. Yashoda is stated to have showered flowers upon the child while

Rohini Rohini may refer to: People * Rohini (given name), including a list of persons and characters with the name * Rohini (actress) (born 1969), Indian actress, screenwriter, and director * Rohini (Buddha's disciple), female disciple * Rohini (goddes ...

offered a feast to the guests.

Religious practices

, this festival is celebrated in various temples of Krishna. The rituals of

panchamrita Panchamrita (, ) is a mixture of five foods used in Hindu as well as Jain worship and puja and Abhiṣeka It is often used as an offering during pooja post which it is distributed as prasad. The main ingredients typically include honey (म� ...

abhisheka Abhisheka () is a religious rite or method of prayer in which a devotee pours a liquid offering on an image or murti of a deity. This is common to religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Hinduism An abhiṣeka is conducted by pries ...

and

arati ''Arti'' () or ''Aarati'' () is a Hindu ritual employed in worship, part of a '' puja'', in which light from a flame (fuelled by camphor, ghee, or oil) is ritually waved to venerate deities. ''Arti'' also refers to the hymns sung in praise of t ...

are performed in honour of the deity. Some devotees form small groups and break pots of butter tied to ropes on high-rise buildings.

References

{{Reflist

Sources

* Packert, Cynthia
The Art of Loving Krishna: Ornamentation and Devotion
Indiana University Press, 2010. Print. Festivals in India August observances September observances Hindu festivals in India