Mathura | 04 Sep 2026
Krishna Janmashtami 2026 is being celebrated across India on Friday, 4 September, with major temples in Mathura, Vrindavan and Jaipur drawing large numbers of devotees for special prayers, aartis and midnight rituals. In Maharashtra, preparations are also under way for Dahi Handi celebrations scheduled for Saturday, 5 September.
Krishna Janmashtami 2026 draws devotees to Mathura and Vrindavan
Mathura, regarded by Hindus as the birthplace of Lord Krishna, remained at the centre of the celebrations. Devotees began arriving at Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi from early morning as the temple complex held Mangala Aarti and special prayers.
The celebrations are scheduled to culminate around midnight with rituals marking Krishna’s birth. Extensive crowd-management and security arrangements have been put in place around the temple complex and other major religious sites in the Braj region.
Mangala Aarti at Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi
Press Trust of India shared footage from Mathura showing the Janmashtami celebrations beginning with Mangala Aarti at the Krishna Janmabhoomi Bhagwat Bhawan.
Yogi Adityanath offers prayers at Krishna Janmabhoomi
Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi in Mathura and offered prayers during the Janmashtami celebrations. His visit came as thousands of devotees gathered across Mathura and neighbouring Vrindavan.
Another ANI video showed the Chief Minister offering prayers at the temple during the festival.
Devotees gather at Vrindavan ISKCON Temple
Vrindavan also witnessed a steady flow of devotees. The ISKCON temple was among the major centres of celebration, with worshippers arriving for darshan and devotional programmes.
Festive atmosphere intensifies at Krishna Janmabhoomi
By evening, the number of visitors at Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi had increased further as devotees gathered ahead of the principal night-time ceremonies. ANI shared visuals showing the crowd at the temple on Janmashtami.
Jaipur’s Govind Dev Ji Temple holds special Janmashtami darshan
In Jaipur, the historic Shri Govind Dev Ji Temple emerged as the focal point of Janmashtami celebrations. According to the temple’s official programme, special darshan began with the Mangala Jhanki from 4 am on 4 September, followed by a series of jhankis and religious ceremonies through the day.
The temple scheduled special night-time rituals around the birth celebration, while Nandotsav and a Shobha Yatra are listed for 5 September. Authorities introduced special entry, exit, traffic and crowd-management arrangements around the City Palace and Jaleb Chowk area because of the expected influx of devotees.
Mumbai prepares for Dahi Handi on 5 September
While temples across Mumbai are observing Janmashtami on Friday, the city’s high-profile Dahi Handi celebrations will take place on Saturday, 5 September. Govinda pathaks are expected to form human pyramids at events across Mumbai, its suburbs and neighbouring Thane.
Mumbai Traffic Police have announced temporary restrictions around some major Dahi Handi venues. Traffic curbs are scheduled in parts of Bandra, while a section of the Andheri-Ghatkopar Link Road will also remain closed for specified periods on 5 September because of large public gatherings.
PM Modi extends Janmashtami greetings
Prime Minister Narendra Modi extended Janmashtami greetings through his official X account, referring to Lord Krishna’s message of selfless action and expressing hope that the festival would bring positive energy and strength to people’s lives.
In a separate post, the Prime Minister shared the Sanskrit verse beginning “Vasudevasutam Devam”, paying homage to Lord Krishna.
Celebrations continue through the night
Janmashtami observances are continuing at temples across the country with bhajans, kirtans, special decorations and midnight worship. The principal celebrations on 4 September will be followed by Nandotsav in several temples and Dahi Handi events in Maharashtra on 5 September.
