The country is getting ready to celebrate the birth of Lord Krishna tomorrow with the festival of Gokulashtatami followed by Dahi Handi celebration. The Hindu festival of Krishna Janmashtami falls on August 14, 2017 and devotees will be fasting and celebrating the festival and joyous occasion of the birth of Lord Krishna with much pomp and fervour. Krishna is the eight avatar of Lord Vishnu and one of the most popular and well-loved deities of Hinduism. Lord Krishna has around 108 names and the most popular ones are Kanhaiya, Kishan, Shyam, Mohan, Govinda and Nandlala.
* Shree Radhe Govinda Man Bhajle Hari Ka Pyara Naam HaiThis devotional song sung by Hari Om Sharan is melodious and has a soulful and serene quality to it. The bhajan describes the qualities of Lord Krishna along with his varied and well-loved names. It also exemplifies the physical attributes and his stories from Hindu mythologies. The lyrics and the soulful singing of Hari Om Sharan are pleasing to the ears and instils a sense of peace in the mind of the listener.
* O Paalan HaareThis devotional song sung by Lata Mangeshkar is actually from the film Lagaan which starred Aamir Khan and Gracy Singh and was directed by Ashutosh Gowariker. The lyrics for the song is written by Javed Akhtar and talks about being dependent on the Lord for his mercies and his quality of removing obstacles from one’s path. The song is an entreaty to the deity to fulfil heart’s desire and uplift one’s life.
* Achyutam Keshavam Krishna DamodaramThe song salutes the different names and heroics of the Lord and also reprimands the devotees who dare to question the existence of the God’s existence and his virtues. The bhajan also hails Shabari, Meera and Lord Krishna’s foster mother Yashoda who loved the God with all their heart. The song tells the devotees to call the Lord in prayer with utmost faith and fervour.
* Ghat Ma Girdhari Ne Manma MorariThis Gujarati Bhajan is soulful and serene with its amazing music. It is one of the best songs that can also be danced upon and can be suited for dance performances in Janmashtami functions.
* Mere Nishaan Oh My GodThis song from the movie Oh My God which had Paresh Rawal and Akshay Kumar in lead roles was sung by Kailash Kher. The song is accompanied by beautiful flute music and talks about the omnipresence and omniscient nature of God. The movie itself was path breaking in the manner that it questioned a lot of dogmatic rituals and beliefs that are perpetrated by all the religions.