In short
- Krishna Janmashtami 2027
- Tuesday, 24 August 2027
- Tithi
- Bhadrapad Krishna AshtamiSravana Krishna Ashtami (amanta)
- Fast
- All day until midnight, or until the next morning
- Observed for
- Krishna’s love and protection
What is it? Krishna’s birthday, at midnight on Krishna Ashtami (Bhadrapada in the North’s calendar, Shravana in the South’s).
Why do families keep it? Vishnu was born as Krishna in Kamsa’s prison to end his tyranny and to teach the Gita.
What happens on the day? Fast through the day, midnight abhisheka and cradle ceremony for baby Krishna, little footprints drawn from the door, and the fast broken after midnight or the next morning.
When to observe Krishna Janmashtami in 2027
| Ashtami tithi begins | Tue, 24 Aug, 08:25 PM |
|---|---|
| Ashtami tithi ends | Wed, 25 Aug, 07:20 PM |
| Sunset | 06:36 PM |
| Nishita Kaal | 11:59 PM – 12:45 AM |
| Moonrise | 11:22 PMFace east. Buildings and hills often hide the moon for a few minutes after it rises. |
| Parane — ending the fast | Wed, 25 Aug, after 06:08 AM |
What Krishna Janmashtami means
Midnight birth
The puja is at Nishita kaal, the middle of the night, when Krishna was born. The table gives it for your town.
Little footprints
Small feet are drawn in rice flour from the door to the puja room — the child Krishna walking in.
Two dates some years
Smarta and Vaishnava (ISKCON) traditions sometimes keep different days, depending on how Ashtami and Rohini fall. Follow your tradition.
In Karnataka
Udupi’s Sri Krishna Matha celebrates Sri Krishna Jayanti with Vitla Pindi the next day.
Born in a prison, carried across the Yamuna
Who is in it: Devaki and Vasudeva, Kamsa, Yashoda and Nanda, Sri Krishna
A voice from the sky told Kamsa that Devaki’s eighth child would kill him. He threw Devaki and Vasudeva into prison and killed each child she bore.
At midnight on Ashtami, in Rohini nakshatra, the eighth child was born. Vishnu appeared to the parents and told Vasudeva to take the child to Gokul.
The chains fell open, the guards slept, and the gates swung wide. Vasudeva carried the baby in a basket through the storm; the Yamuna parted and Shesha shaded them.
In Gokul he exchanged Krishna for Yashoda’s newborn daughter and returned. When Kamsa tried to kill the girl, she rose into the sky as the goddess and told him his killer was alive.
What it teaches: No prison holds the divine; love finds its way across every flood.
Krishna Janmashtami puja at home, step by step
Getting ready
- 1Fast from sunrise (fruit and milk if needed).
- 2Decorate a cradle; draw little footprints from the door.
The puja
- 1In the evening, bathe Bala Krishna with panchamrita.
- 2At Nishita (midnight), worship baby Krishna with tulasi, butter, flowers and a lamp; rock the cradle, ring bells and sing.
- 3Offer butter, makhan-mishri, panjiri, seedai or chakkuli and fruit.
- 4Read the birth story from the Bhagavata, Skandha 10.
Closing the puja
- 1Break the fast after midnight or the next morning (parana), as your tradition keeps it.
What to keep ready for Krishna Janmashtami
Must have
| What | How much | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Bala Krishna idol or picture | 1 | Worship |
| Cradle | 1 | Birth ceremony |
| Panchamrita: milk, curd, ghee, honey, sugar | A little | Abhisheka |
| Butter, mishri, tulasi | As needed | Naivedya |
| Rice flour | A little | Footprints |
Good to have
| What | How much | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Flute and peacock feather | — | Decoration |
Family and regional customs
| What | How much | Used for |
|---|---|---|
| Seedai, murukku, chakkuli, unde | — | South Indian Krishna Jayanti |
| Panjiri and dhaniya pag | — | North Indian prasad |
Keeping the Krishna Janmashtami fast
The day before
- A light meal on Saptami.
On the fasting day
- Fruit, milk, water — or no food — until the midnight puja.
- No grains.
Ending the fast
- After the midnight puja with prasada, or the next morning after sunrise.
Children, the elderly and the unwell can eat fruit and milk.
Good practice, and what to avoid
Please do
- Do the puja at midnight.
- Let children dress as Krishna and Radha.
Best avoided
- Eat grains during the fast.
Chants for Krishna Janmashtami
Krishna vandana
वसुदेवसुतं देवं कंसचाणूरमर्दनम्।
देवकीपरमानन्दं कृष्णं वन्दे जगद्गुरुम्॥
ಕನ್ನಡ ಲಿಪಿಯಲ್ಲಿ
ವಸುದೇವಸುತಂ ದೇವಂ ಕಂಸಚಾಣೂರಮರ್ದನಮ್।
ದೇವಕೀಪರಮಾನನ್ದಂ ಕೃಷ್ಣಂ ವನ್ದೇ ಜಗದ್ಗುರುಮ್॥
vasudevasutaṃ devaṃ kaṃsacāṇūramardanam| devakīparamānandaṃ kṛṣṇaṃ vande jagadgurum||
What it means: I bow to Krishna, son of Vasudeva, destroyer of Kamsa and Chanura, Devaki’s great joy, teacher of the world.
Dvadashakshari
ॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवाय
ಕನ್ನಡ ಲಿಪಿಯಲ್ಲಿ
ಓಂ ನಮೋ ಭಗವತೇ ವಾಸುದೇವಾಯ
oṃ namo bhagavate vāsudevāya
What it means: A bow to Bhagavan Vasudeva.
Krishna Janmashtami from region to region
Mathura and Vrindavan
Midnight abhisheka at the Janmabhoomi and Banke Bihari.
Maharashtra
Dahi Handi: human pyramids break pots of curd the next day.
Udupi
Sri Krishna Jayanti and Vitla Pindi at the Krishna Matha.
Tamil Nadu
Gokulashtami with seedai and little footprints.
Have the Krishna Janmashtami puja done for you
Two ways to do it. At a temple: the pandit takes your family’s name and gotra in the sankalpa and sends you the photos and video. At home: a pandit from our panel comes to you with the vidhi, and you sit for the puja yourself.
Where this comes from
- Bhagavata Purana, Skandha 10, chapter 3.
- Vishnu Purana, Amsha 5.
How we work out the dates: Stuti Mandir’s own panchanga engine places the Sun and Moon (Lahiri ayanamsa) and checks the tithi against sunrise, sunset and moonrise in Bengaluru, in IST. A printed panchanga may differ by a minute or so. Where your family’s panchanga or your purohita says otherwise, go with them.
Questions devotees ask us
When is Krishna Janmashtami 2027?
Tuesday, 24 August 2027. In Bengaluru, Sravana Krishna Ashtami (amanta; Bhadrapad Krishna Ashtami in the North Indian count) begins Tue, 24 Aug, 08:25 PM and ends Wed, 25 Aug, 07:20 PM IST.
When do I end the Krishna Janmashtami fast?
On Wednesday, 25 August 2027, once the sun is up — 06:08 AM in Bengaluru. Follow your family’s custom for what to eat first.
Will Mysuru and Delhi keep Krishna Janmashtami on the same day?
Mostly yes. But the sun rises and sets at different times in different towns, and a habba is kept on the day its tithi is running at the right hour — so timings shift, and once in a while the date does too. Change the town above to see yours.
What time is the Janmashtami puja?
Nishita kaal — around midnight — while Ashtami runs. The table gives the window for your town.
Why are there two Janmashtami dates some years?
Smarta families follow Ashtami at midnight; Vaishnava traditions (ISKCON and others) give more weight to Rohini nakshatra and sunrise. Both are correct for their tradition.
Can I book a pandit for Janmashtami puja?
Yes. WhatsApp Stuti Mandir to book a Krishna puja or Satyanarayana puja at home or on live video.