Kamsa Vadha 2022: Date, Time, Rituals, Celebrations, And Legends

Friday, October 28, 2022, 11:04

The Kamsa Vadha or Kansa Vadha festival arrives in Kartik month on Shukla Dashami as per Hindu Panchang, ten days after the conclusion of Deepavali Lakshmi Puja. Celebrated mainly by the Chaturvedi community in the Brah region, Kansa Vadh is a local festival that is not observed by any other community in Mathura.

Chaturvedi, also known as Choubey when translated, means knower of the four Vedas. Diwali rituals for the Choubey community continue beyond the Dashami tithi. On Kamsa Vadha day Kamsa was killed by Lord Krishna and king Ugrasena was reinstated as King of Mathura.

Kamsa Vadha 2022: Date And Time

This time, Kamsa Vadha festival is going to be celebrated on Thursday 03 November 2022.

Chaturvedi diaspora from UAE and other places visit India every time during the festival. Other members of the Chaturvedi Samaj in other Indian cities also are present at this time for the celebrations. It is a unifying occasion for the Choubey community that spells happy unions and festive get-togethers.

The next day after Kamsa Vadha is observed as Dev Uthan Ekadashi day. On this day, Teen Van Parikrama covering 3 Braj towns namely Mathura, Vrindavan and Garun Govind, is performed by the devotee folk. This parikrama was first believed to be performed by Lord Krishna for absolving himself of the sin of killing Kansa. The Braj residents, in order to continue this tradition, follow Teen Van Parikrama on the day after the Kamsa Vadha

Kamsa Vadha 2022: Rituals And Celebrations

The divine hand behind the triumph of good over evil is the reigning concept that is behind the festival of Kamsa Vadha. King Ugrasena, who had lost his kingdom unlawfully to Kansa and was also imprisoned indefinitely, was reinstated as the primary ruler of India. on the day of Kamsa Vadha by his grandson Lord Krishna.As per the Hindu scriptures, Kansa was the incarnation of evil that ruled the regions of Mathura. Lord Vishnu, incarnated for the eighth time on earth, in his eighth avatar of Lord Krishna, released his parents and grandfather from the oppression of Kansa. The occasion of 'Kamsa Vadha inspired people to celebrate it as a festival in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Mathura. The day is celebrated with immense enthusiasm and reverence.

Devotees assemble on the eve of Kamsa Vadha, to offer their prayers to Radha and Lord Krishna and on the eve of Kamsa Vadha, the devotees offer prayers to Radharani and Lord Krishna and appease them with sweet delicacies. An effigy of Kansa is made and later burnt to mark the destruction of the evil and restoration of the good. This also hints at the transient nature of evil and that good always prevails over evil. In short, Satyameva Jayate. (It is only truth that wins in the last)

Cultural programs including music concerts and plays are arranged all over Mathura and Uttar Pradesh to celebrate the event. Devotees enjoy watching the Kamsa Vadha leela, a skit prepared and enacted by the locals of Mathura which vividly presents the destruction of Kamsa under the hands of Krishna, This was the day Lord Krishna freed the King Ugrasena, who was also his grandfather, from the clutches of Kamsa to reinstate him to the throne as a king, with all ritualistic observances.

Kamsa Mela is also held annually in Mathura on the tenth day of Shukla Paksha of Kartik month. The scene of Krishna killing Kansa is reenacted at this fair, which takes it back to the times bygone. Everyone puts on the folk attire and marches ahead with shining sticks in their hands. Dances are performed, and songs denoting victory are sung. People cheering shouts are heard as the drumming begins.

Young people in town with their decorated sticks reach Kamsa Tila followed by a couple of Tableaux. Scenes from the Sudama Srikrishna times, enacted in a dramatic style follow the queue. The effigy of Kamsa placed on a mound is destroyed by breaking its head on Kamsakhar and everyone reaches the Vishram ghat and worships the Lord, allowing him some rest.

Kamsa Vadha 2022: Legends Associated With This Day

Kamsa was the maternal uncle of Lord Krishna whose birthday is celebrated as Janmashtami. He was Lord Vishnu's eighth avatar that was born to slay King Kamsa who had imprisoned the grandfather of Lord Krishna, Ugrasena to become a self-proclaimed king of Mathura. Kamsa was a tyrannical king who tortured his subjects who were put into untold fear and distress due to his acts. Even the cowherds of Mathura, Gokul, Barsana and Nandgaon were at the receiving end. They remained victimised and in abject despair throughout his reign.

King Kamsa's army of demons were the perfect accomplices for his demoniacal acts and schemes. Of all demons, the closest to him were Putana, Bakasura, and Aghasura. King Kamsa had deep regard for his sister Devaki and had got her married with his cousin Vasudeva who was the chieftain of his army. During the Wedding, however, he overheard an oracle that said that the eighth child of his sister would spell Kansa's doom. Infuriated Kansa had a change of intentions and decided to kill his sister. Upon the repeated requests from Vasudeva, he agreed to spare Devaki but made sure that the kids, as soon as they were born would be handed over to Kamsa who would kill them immediately.

He had killed the first six infants that were born to Devaki and it was now the turn of the seventh child. The seventh child was Balram who was, by divine interference, saved and placed in the womb of Rohini who was the other wife of Vasudev. Lord Krishna, as soon as he was born was saved by being transferred to Gokul the night he was born, to the house of Nand and Yashoda, who were friends of Vasudeva. He took a girl child back to prison as a replacement for Krishna. When Kamsa tried to exterminate the girl, she announced that Kamsa's death is impending and his death would be at the hands of the eighth son of Devaki who was in safe custody by now.

As soon as Kamsa heard that his killer was safe in a neighbouring village, he sent his demons to kill all one-day old babies in all neighbouring villages. His attempts to identify Krishna and kill him proved futile.

Kamsa sent a very reliable servant by the name of Putana who was instructed to breastfeed the child with poison to kill it. As she was ordered, she reached the Nandagokula but it was Lord Krishna who sucked the life out of her and killed her.
Unable to bear Putanas loss, Kamsa sent Trinavarta to kill Lord Krishna. Trinavarta turned into a whirlwind and carried Krishna in the wind upwards in the sky in an effort to drop him down from those impossible heights. But Krishna suddenly felt heavier on the demon's hands and the demon was soon unable to move due to the weight. When Krishna grew too heavy for him, the demon dropped down to the ground and died.

Kamsa did not give in at this. He incited his friend Bakasura who turned into a crane and tried to kill Krishna. Bakasura poked Krishna with his beak which, was caught by Lord Krishna who broke it in half. The demon died on the spot.

King Kamsa, tired of hearing Lord Krishna's exploits, soon invited both Balaram and Krishna to his palace to fight a duel with his elephant Kuvalayapeeda and his servants Charuna and Toshalaka. Lord Krishna ended his duel with the elephant and the demons in an instant and then reached for Kamsa's neck, caught him and threw him on the ground. Kamsa unable to withstand the ferocity of Krishna, died in an instant. People rejoiced and celebrated.

Disclaimer: The information is based on assumptions and information available on the internet and the accuracy or reliability is not guaranteed. Boldsky does not confirm any inputs or information related to the article and our only purpose is to deliver information. Kindly consult the concerned expert before practising or implementing any information and assumption.

Image sources: Wikimedia Commons