Janmashtami Puja (जन्माष्टमी पूजा)

Who is worshipped and when

The puja is for Krishna. It is done: The birth of Krishna at midnight on Janmashtami.

Items you need (samagri)

Tick the items as you collect them. The first few are specific to this puja; the rest are the basic items for any puja. You can print this page as a checklist.

• An image of Laddu Gopal and a small cradle
• Panchamrit and tulsi leaves
• Butter (makhan) and mishri (rock sugar)
• New clothes and a flute
• A peacock feather and flowers
• Roli (kumkum) and akshat (whole rice)
• Turmeric (haldi) and sandal paste (chandan)
• Fresh flowers and a garland
• Incense sticks (agarbatti) and a dhoop
• A ghee or oil lamp (diya) with wicks and a match
• Camphor (kapoor) for aarti
• Fruits and a sweet for the offering (prasad)
• A clean cloth or asan for the seat
• Clean water in a small pot with a spoon (achamani)
• A bell and, if you have one, a conch

Steps

1. Fast during the day if you wish.
2. In the evening, decorate the cradle and the room.
3. At midnight, bathe the image with panchamrit and water, dress it and place it in the cradle.
4. Offer butter, mishri and tulsi, and sing the aarti and bhajans.
5. Break the fast with the prasad. Rock the cradle and distribute prasad.

Notes

In Maharashtra the day is also celebrated with the dahi handi, in which teams form a human pyramid to break a pot of curd.

For the full sixteen-step version see Shodashopachara puja, and for the lamp-waving see our guide to how to do aarti.

Questions people ask

This page describes common practice in plain words. Families, regions and priests differ in the details, and your own family tradition or your priest comes first. Dates and muhurat (auspicious times) change every year: ask a priest or use a trusted panchang. Nothing here promises any result.