The Hindu festival of Radha Ashtami commemorates the birth anniversary of ‘Shri Radha Rani’, the consort of Lord Krishna. She is known to be an ‘avatar’ of Goddess Lakshmi. It is celebrated on the ‘ashtami’ (8th day) of the Shukla Paksha (the bright fortnight of moon) during the month of ‘Bhadrapada’ in the Hindu calendar. In the Gregorian calendar, it falls during the month of August-September. Radha Ashtami is also known as ‘Radha Jayanti’ or ‘Radhashtami’ and Hindu devotees worship Goddess Radha with utmost devotion and zeal. This day also honours the selfless bond of love between Sri Krishna and Radha, a unique relationship between human and God.
Radha Ashtami is celebrated 15 days after ‘Janmashtami’, the birth anniversary of Sri Krishna. On the occasion of Radha Ashtami, special pujas and prayers are held in Lord Krishna temples, especially in North India. ISCKON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) temples all over the country as well as abroad observe this festival with gaiety. The celebrations are even grandeur in Mathura, Vrindavan and Barsana, the birth place of Radha.