Janmashtami 2024 shubh muhurat, citywise timings, puja samagri and rituals

Krishna Janmashtami falls on August 26 this year. It is celebrated annually on the Ashtami Tithi of Krishna Paksha in the month of Shraavana of Bhadrapad. As we gear up to celebrate the auspicious festival of Janmashtami, here’s a look at the shubh muhurat, citywise timings, puja samagri, and important rituals to mark Lord Krishna’s 5251st birthday.
This year, Hindu devotees will celebrate Lord Krishna’s 5251st birth anniversary. It falls on August 26. Check out the shubh muhurat and timings, as per Drik Panchang —
Nishita Puja Time – 12:01 am to 12:45 am, August 27
Ashtami Tithi Begins – 3:39 am, August 26
Ashtami Tithi Ends – 2:19 am, August 27
Midnight Shubh Muhurat – 12:23 am, August 27
Rohini Nakshatra Begins – 3:55 pm, August 26
Rohini Nakshatra Ends – 3:38 pm, August 27
Parana Muhurat (the time to break fast) – after 3:38 pm, August 27
Rohini Nakshatra End Time – 3:38 pm (On parana day, Ashtami will be over before sunrise)
Parana Time (as per modern traditions) – 12:45 am, August 27
Chandrodaya Time – 11:20 pm, August 26
New Delhi – 12:01 am to 12:45 am, August 27
Noida – 12:00 pm to 12:44 am, August 27
Gurgaon – 12:01 am to 12:46 am, August 27
Mumbai – 12:17 am to 01:03 am, August 27
Bengaluru – 11:58 pm to 12:44 am, August 27
Kolkata – 11:16 pm to 12:01 am, August 27
Chandigarh – 12:03 am to 12:47 am, August 27
Pune – 12:13 am to 12:59 am, August 27
Chennai – 11:48 pm to 12:34 am, August 27
Jaipur – 12:06 am to 12:51 am, August 27
Hyderabad – 11:55 pm to 12:41 am, August 27
Ahmedabad – 12:19 am to 01:04 am, August 27
To perform the Krishna Janmashtami puja, devotees will need a banana leaf to place the picture of Lord Krishna. Other ingredients for puja are rose, wheat, rice, red lotus flowers, incense sticks, agarbatti, kumkum, abir, gulal, kesar, kapur, sindoor, Chandan, yagyopavit 5, akshat, paan leaves, supari, pushmala, haldi, cotton, tulsi mala, kamal gatta, Ganga Jal, honey, dhaniya, panch meva, sugar, cow ghee, cow milk, rituphal, and cardamom.
For the shringar (decoration) of Bal Krishna’s idol, you will need flute, earrings, bangles, garland, tika, anklets, nada, kajal, peacock feathers, turban, fan, and a swing and throne to keep the idol. Additionally, place a betel nut on a betel leaf and offer it to Lord Krishna. Meanwhile, to prepare the bhog, you will need dry fruits, melon seeds, and gond.
On Krishna Janmashtami, devotees must observe a fast to seek the blessings of Lord Krishna. You can keep a nirjala vrat (one cannot eat or drink water until midnight) or a phalahar fast (one can only eat fruits and drink milk and water). The fast is typically broken at midnight. Wear traditional clothes, bathe and decorate Lord Krishna’s idols in new clothes and jewellery, and seek blessings for the well-being of their families. Devotees should also chant mantras and bhajans and recite the Bhagavad Gita or Krishna Leela.