Krishna Janmashtami (Smarta) 2036: date and significance

Krishna Janmashtami marks the midnight birth of Lord Krishna, the eighth avatar of Vishnu, on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the dark fortnight of Bhadrapada. Devotees fast through the day and break it only after midnight rituals mark the exact hour of birth. Temples and homes decorate cradles for the infant Krishna, and in Maharashtra the day is also marked by Dahi Handi, where teams form human pyramids to break a pot of curd hung high overhead, re-enacting young Krishna's butter-stealing mischief. This page follows the Smarta (midnight-anchored) date; some traditions, notably ISKCON, observe a day-after variant in certain years.