Janmashtami Fasting Recipes Krishna Jayanthi Sweets Snacks

About Janmashtami Festival

Janmanshtami is also known as Gokulashtami or Sri Krishna Jayanthi and is celebrated with great fervour all over India. Though each region or state celebrates the festival differently. Example: In the state of Maharashtra dahi handi is played and is very popular. Whereas in some parts of North India, devotees show images of Krishna’s childhood which are placed in swings and cradles outside their homes. Most of the temples are decorated and people visit the temples till late midnight as this is the time Krishna was supposed to be born. Places which are associated with Krishna’s childhood like Mathura, Gokul and Vrindavan are visited by many devotees. Some families make a variety of sweets and offer to their Krishna in their home temples. Later these sweets are distributed as prasad with the family members and friends.
In North India many Hindus keep fast on this day and in this post, I have shared some fasting recipes for Janmashtami, in case you are also planning to do fast on this holy day. Fruits, dairy products and only some vegetables and herbs are eaten during the fasting period. I list below only the grains and flour that we use during the Hindu religious fasting.

Flours and Grains for Janmashtami Fasting

Note: We use edible rock salt (sendha namak) instead of normal salt. In some of the recipes listed below, replace edible rock salt with regular salt. Also feel free to omit or add the herbs, spices according to your family practices while making these fasting recipes. All the rules which applies for Navratri Fasting applies to the recipes that you make for the Janmashtami fasting. Kindly follow your family’s rules on the ingredients like spices, herbs, oil etc you include in your fast.

Janmashtami Recipes For Fasting

In this section of Janmashtami recipes, you will find dishes that you can eat for a brunch or for a lunch or dinner. Usually some people eat only fruits and some just have one meal a day. Some of these dishes keep you full for some hours and this is the reason they are included as a part of the fasting diet. Take into account your health, age and physical constitution when deciding to fast. Consider eating light meals and have plenty of fluids like water or juices.

Khichdi Variations

Easy Vegetarian Mains

Fasting Breads

Fasting Snacks

Here you will find snacks that are made without onion and garlic. Some of these snacks are easy to make. Some are deep fried or shallow fried, but you can choose to bake or air-fry these snacks.

Sides for the Snacks

Gokulashtami Sweets

Sweets especially milk based ones are Bhagwan’s Krishna’s favorites. You can make a variety of sweets and offer to Bhagwan Krishna and later serve this prasad to your family and friends. I share below, Indian sweets which I have updated on the blog and do not contain cereals or grains that are not consumed during the Hindu fasting.

Krishna Jayanthi Recipes

In the Southern Indian states also Krishna Jayanthi is celebrated with a lot of joy and fervor. The South Indian snacks and sweets that are made are different from the North Indian ones. I have below listed some basic ingredients that you can make at home to make these snacks and sweets. I have also shared some special dishes that are made on the occasion of Krishna Jayanthi.