Mathura, on the banks of the river Yamuna, was the capital of the kingdom in North India, where the Yadav people were dwelling. Ugrasen the king of Mathura had one son, Kansa, and one daughter Devki. The king had chosen Vasudev who was a high ranking officer in the king's army, as his daughter's husband.

One of the main occupations of people was to look after the huge herds of cows. They used to live in settlements known as Gokul. Nanda, a friend of Vasudev was the owner of one Gokul.

The wedding of Vasudev and Devki was celebrated with great solemnity. Kansa was riding the chariot in which the newly wedded couple was going towards Gokul. Suddenly a voice from heaven said, "Kansa, fool. You are taking your sister with great pomp. But her eighth son will kill you."

Kansa was from the beginning a bad man. On hearing that warning he stopped the chariot and there and then was ready to kill his sister. Vasudev began to argue with Kansa. Finally he succeeded in persuading him not to kill Devki, with the promise that he would bring all her children to him as soon as they would be born, so that he could dispose of them as he pleased. With this Kansa was satisfied, and decided in his mind to kill all the future children of Devki.

Kansa was a Yadav, but he began to behave like a demon. He began by throwing his father Ugrasen into prison, and he became king. Then he put Vasudev and Devki under strict surveillance in a prison at Mathura. The entire Yadav people began to pray for liberation from the tyranny of Kansa.

Kansa eliminated every child of Devki soon after birth by smashing him against a washing stone. In this way six children were one after the other destroyed. Devki conceived her seventh child. But by divine power this child was changed from Devki's womb to that of Rohini, the second wife of Vasudev, who was living in Gokul. This change was kept secret, and the people thought that Devki had a miscarriage, and so Kansa too thought. But in fact the seventh child was born at Gokul as the son of Rohini and his name was Balram. So six children of Devki had been killed and the seventh one had "disappeared". Kansa was now more vigilant than ever. He reinforced the prison security.

Krishna's Birth:

It was the eighth day of the dark half of Shravan. It was raining and dark. At midnight a bright light appeared in the room of Devki. Vasudev woke up. In that light the idol of Vishnu with four hands appeared. Then the child was born, Devki's eighth son. Vishnu himself took avatar to kill Kansa.

Vasudev heard a voice in his mind, "Get up and take the child to Gokul." The gates of the prison were suddenly opened and the guards were fast asleep. Vasudev put the child in a basket and went out. On account of the heavy rain the Yamuna was swollen. But as he stepped out of the prison the rain stopped and the dim light of the moon showed the way. A huge snake taking the shape of an umbrella protected the child. As he reached the river the waters were divided leaving a dry path for Vasudev to cross.

Vasudev reached Nanda's house when everybody was sleeping. He went into the room of Yashoda, Nanda's wife. He saw a small girl playing near Yashoda. He took the girl and left his son, Krishna, in her place, and immediately returned to Mathura.

On the following day Kansa came to know about the birth of Devki's eighth child. In a hurry he went to snatch the child. Devki began to plead with her brother not to kill the girl. But in yam. Kansa lifted the child by the legs and began to turn her around to smash her on a washing stone. But suddenly the girl slipped from his hand and disappeared. In her place the image of the goddess appeared in the sky. In her four hands she held weapons, and her splendour spread on all sides. She spoke to Kansa, "You wanted to kill me. Your enemy, the one who will kill you, has taken birth and is growing elsewhere."

Meanwhile a great commotion was going on at Gokul, because of the boy's birth. This boy was Krishna who later killed his uncle Kansa.

Dahihandi

The celebration of Krishna's birth is also known as "Dahihandi". An earthen pot ("handi") filled with curds and "jvari" ("jondhala")- a grain blown out by parching ("lahya") - is tied from a high rope. Young men form a human tower by climbing one upon the other to break the pot. Then the contents are eaten as "prasad" amidst acclamations of "Govind", "Govind", another name for Krishna.