questions and answers about Janmastami

[Paramananda das]

When is Janmastami exactly?

 

monday (at least on the Eastcoast of USA)

 

http://www.dandavats.com/?p=4883

O Narada, one who eats during the midnight of Janmastami attains the sinful reaction of killing a brahmana.
On a pure Janmastami (not mixed with the saptami) one should not eat even fruit or betel nuts, or even drink water. Eating these is like eating stool or cow’s flesh, or like drinking urine. What, then, can be said of eating rice?

best it 24hours fast

One who eats on Lord Krishna’s birthday is lowest of mankind. His sinful reaction is like that of having raped his mother and murdered a hundred brahmanas.

from Brahma Vaivarta Purana

 

by observing fully one becomes freee from maya

SAMPARKEN API YAH KURYAT KASCIT JANMASTAMI VRATAM VISNU LOKAM AVAPNOTI SO’PI PARTHA NA SAMSAYAH
(HARI BHAKTI VILASA 15/295 from SKANDA PURANA)
If someone fasts on Janmastami day, with devotion, he attains the abode of Lord Sri Visnu.

 

Thank you for clarifing. I was using the vaisnava reminder but if Ive noticed that some days are incorrect (i work with a mataji from Gujarat and she give me the inside scoop :D) She also told me that tomorrow we shouldnt light the kithen fire.

Ive seen ISKCON Alachua is celebrating Jamashtami on the 21st and also i think theyre fasting
At what time exactly does the fasting begin? And absolutely no water?

 

midnight

sunday night

and best is to fast until monday morning and break fast around 6 am and fasting from water

I have done it before, with my heart condition I have to take water at least for my heart medicin, I might drink some water ,but I am trying to do full fast at least not take even ekadasi prasdam at midnight, and wait til monday morning and take Jagannatha Mahaprasadam or Giriraja mahaprasadam

should not light the kitchen fire ,I never heard that

sounds like a speculation to me

Brahma Vaivarta Purana has mentioned to only take unspices kitri the day before and nothing else...

 

In ISKCON the tradition is to break fast on midnight, but taking grains is never allowed, but actually even taking anything at this time is not recommended, this was (is?) to strict for most to follow in ISKCON though in India millions of people fast for these almost 30 hours or so