THIS YEAR, Janmashtami is celebrated today on August 14. Sri Krishna Janmashtami commemorates the birthday of Lord Krishna. It is observed eight days after the full moon in the month of Shravan which is considered the holiest month of the year in the traditional Hindu calendar. Devotees of Lord Krishna usually observe a fast on the day preceding Janmashtami followed by a night vigil. Milk and water is poured on the idols of Lord Krishna. Ladies of many homes also design imprints of a child's feet using a paste of rice flour, in a track leading up to their homes.

In the South the festival is notably celebrated by the Iynegars and Iyers who refer to it as Krisnajayanthi and Gokulashtami respectively. The Vaishnavite communities in Karnataka place the idol of Lord Krishna in a mandapam which is decked with fruits and sweets prepared specifically for the occasion.

In Maharashtra, Janmashtami is celebrated with the popular Dahi Handi. In the celebrations organised around the event, members of the community form human pyramids to reach a clay pot containing dahi which is suspended from a wire at a challenging height. It is common for cash and treats to be handed out to groups called Govindas who move around in groups in search of handis.