Ashtami Rohini – When Play Becomes Prayer

The Night the Divine Arrived

On a quiet night in Chingam, under the light of the Rohini star, Kerala waits with folded hands and open hearts. It is Ashtami Rohini, the birthday of Krishna - the playful, powerful, and profound child of Indian mythology.

It’s a night of celebration, but also of reflection. A moment when childhood play becomes a spiritual rhythm, and when every home prepares to welcome not a king - but a child-Bhagwan.

Welcoming Krishna into Every Home

As dawn breaks, tiny footprints made of rice flour appear at the entrances of homes across Kerala, marking the imaginary path of little Krishna, walking in from the outer world into the sanctum of the home.

Temples dedicated to Vishnu and Krishna come alive with people - women in kasavu sarees, men in mundu, children in festive dress. Hymns and Bhajans float in the air, mingled with the fragrance of incense and oil lamps.

The child Bhagwan is here - not as a distant presence, but as a living memory, a guest of honour in every heart.

The Streets Bloom with Little Krishnas

The true charm of Ashtami Rohini is seen on the faces of children - boys and girls dressed as Krishna and Radha. With flutes, crowns, bangles, and mischief in their eyes, they parade through schools, streets, and cultural venues in groups led by Balagokulam and local temple committees.

This is more than cute. It is community storytelling in motion, where myth becomes memory, and tradition is passed on not through lectures, but through costumes, songs and laughter.

Uriyadi – The Game of Leaping Faith

A highlight of Ashtami Rohini is Uriyadi, the daring game where boys try to break a hanging pot - just as little Krishna once did.

The pot swings high, tied between tall poles. Boys form human pyramids or leap on their own to strike it. Cheers erupt. Music plays. Faces shine with joy.

But behind the game lies meaning. Uriyadi is more than fun - it teaches teamwork, courage, rhythm, and the spirit of leaping towards something higher. In every jump, there's a reflection of our own spiritual search.

The Warrior Beyond the Flute

Krishna is remembered for his divine mischief and enchanting flute, but he was also a warrior-sage - skilled in wrestling, swordplay, and archery.

At the gurukula of Sage Sandipani, he trained in both scriptures and strength. He lifted mountains, tamed serpents, and faced demons - not with anger, but with graceful force.

Krishna showed us that the body, too, is sacred.
It must not be denied, but disciplined - and then offered.

The Gita’s Call to Action

Later, as the guide to Arjuna, Krishna gave us the Bhagavad Gita - a call to act, to move, to serve without attachment:

“Perform your duty, without desire for the result.

That is the way of wisdom.”

In Kerala, where people dance in temples, wrestle in kalaris, and row boats in devotion — this message still rings true. Movement is not always about performance. Sometimes, it is prayer.

A Festival that Lives and Breathes

In Guruvayur, Ambalappuzha, Parthasarathy Temple at Aranmula, and hundreds of village shrines, Ashtami Rohini is not just observed - it is lived. Families gather to sing bhajans, chant slokas, and share stories of Krishna’s divine play.

It is not just a memory of a sacred birth. It is a living celebration of values we hold dear - joy, fearlessness, humility, and divine playfulness.

From Mahabali to Madhava

As Thiruvonam fades into memory, Ashtami Rohini arrives to remind us: Kerala’s month of Chingam carries more than one hero.

Mahabali ruled with humility.

Krishna ruled with humor.

Both upheld dharma in their own way.

Their stories remind us that truth and righteousness come in many forms - sometimes wearing a crown, sometimes crawling in butter-smeared limbs.

Conclusion: The Eternal Child Within

Kerala’s culture - with its games, its songs, its processions, tells us again and again: the body is not a burden. It is a bridge.

On Ashtami Rohini, we remember this truth. That leaping for a clay pot or dressing a child like Krishna are not just gestures of devotion - they are acts of remembrance, of connection, of divinity in motion.

So today, let us play.
Let us leap.
Let us act with joy - And find the child-Bhagwan smiling within us.

References:

1. Srimad Bhagavatam, Bhagavad Gita
2. Cultural Symbolism of Uriyadi – Kerala Folklore Series, Vol. 2
3. Oral sources from Balagokulam volunteers and temple elders

Coming up next: SUNDAY FIELD & FLAME – 21st September 2025: “How Britain Shaped the Games We Play”