[5] In an effort to defy this prophesy, Kamsa imprisoned his sister Devaki and her husband and promptly killed the first six of her newborns after their birth.

[5] These events allowed Vasudeva to send Krishna across the Yamuna River to his foster parents, Yashoda (mother) and Nanda (father).

Balarama joined Krishna in the major events that are celebrated in Vraja, Brindavan, Dravarka, and Mathura such as stealing butter, chasing calves, playing in the cow pens, and participating in wrestling matches.

[16] Krishna Janmashtami holds significant importance to Krishnaites as well as Hindus around the world, and it is celebrated in diverse forms depending on their regional and cultural customs.

[17][6] Hindus celebrate Janmashtami by fasting, singing, praying together, preparing and sharing special food, night vigils, and visiting Krishna or Vishnu temples.

[15] The tradition of Rasa Lila is particularly popular in the Mathura region, in northeastern states of India such as Manipur and Assam, and in parts of Rajasthan and Gujarat.

It is acted out by numerous teams of amateur artists, cheered on by their local communities, and these drama-dance plays begin a few days before each Janmashtami.

[15] Janmashtami is the largest festival in the Braj region of north India, in cities such as Mathura where Krishna was born according to Krishnaism, and in Vrindavan where he grew up.

[15] Vaishnava communities in these cities in Uttar Pradesh, as well as others in the state, as well as locations in Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, Uttarakhand and Himalayan north celebrate Janmashtami.

[24] The festival typically falls as the monsoons in north India have begun retreating, fields laden with crops and rural communities have time to play.

In the northern states, Janmashtami is celebrated with the Raslila tradition, which literally means "play (Lila) of delight, essence (Rasa)".

[27] The Braj basha poems of Surdas (collectively known as the Sursagar) are popularly recalled, some of which describe the birth and childhood of Krishna.

The day is marked by numerous Phalaahari Dhaams or Bhandaras in the streets of Jammu region's prominent towns.

Janmashtami marks the beginning of the kite-flying season in the Jammu region whereby locals gather and fly decorated kites from their rooftops.

[28] Another ceremony associated with Janmashtami in Jammu region is "Deyaa Parna" in which Dogras donate cereal grains in the name of their ancestors & Kuldevtas.

[31] This story is the theme of numerous reliefs on temples across India, as well as literature and dance-drama repertoire, symbolizing the joyful innocence of children, that love and life's play is the manifestation of god.

[32][33] It is common practice for youth groups to celebrate the festival by participating in Dahi Handi, which involves hanging a clay pot, filled with buttermilk, at a significant height.

[6] Once hung, several youth groups compete to reach the pot by creating a human pyramid and breaking it open.

In the Kutch district region, farmers decorate their bullock carts and take out Krishna processions, with group singing and dancing.

The widespread tradition of celebrating Krishna in these regions is credited to the efforts and teachings of 15th and 16th century Sankardeva and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Sankardeva introduced the musical composition, Borgeet, and dance-drama styles – Ankia Naat[43] and Sattriya - that is now popular in West Bengal and Assam.

[44][45][46][47] The contextual roots of these dance drama arts are found in the ancient text Natya Shastra, but with influences from the culture fusion between India and southeast Asia.

Most Hindus in Fiji have ancestors that originated from Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Tamil Nadu, making this an especially important festival for them.

[62] Janmashtami is celebrated by Pakistani Hindus in the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir in Karachi with the singing of bhajans and delivering of sermons on Krishna.

Prior to the Partition of India, Dera Ghazi Khan was the center of a Janmashtami fair at the thallā of Kevalarāma.

[64] In Arizona, United States, Governor Janet Napolitano was the first American leader to greet a message on Janmashtami, while acknowledging ISKCON.

[65] The festival is also celebrated widely by Krishnaites in the Caribbean countries of Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica and Suriname.