Rādhā Aṣṭamī 2029

Rādhā Aṣṭamī (Rādhāṣṭamī) celebrates the appearance of Śrīmatī Rādhārāṇī on Bhādrapada Śukla Aṣṭamī, fifteen days after Kṛṣṇa Janmāṣṭamī. The day is determined by a Madhyāhna-vyāpinī rule: the Aṣṭamī tithi must prevail during Madhyāhna Kāla (the middle third of the day, centered on the 8th of the day's fifteen muhūrtas), since Rādhā's appearance is traditionally placed at midday, just as Kṛṣṇa's own appearance at midnight governs Janmāṣṭamī.

According to the Padma Purāṇa, Brahma Vaivarta Purāṇa, and Garga Saṃhitā, the infant Rādhā was found on the banks of the Yamunā, upon a golden lotus, by Vṛṣabhānu and his wife Kīrtidā. The child kept her eyes closed and would not open them, until the child Kṛṣṇa himself was brought before her. The sage Nārada Muni is said to have reassured the anxious parents, revealing the child's divine nature. The festival is especially celebrated in Vṛndāvana and Barsānā, traditionally associated with Rādhā's early life, with the nearby village of Rāval held by some traditions as her actual birthplace.

Devotees observe a fast until Madhyāhna (noon), when a ceremonial abhiṣekam of Rādhā (or Rādhā-Kṛṣṇa) is performed with pañcāmṛta, followed by śṛṅgāra (decoration) and an offering of bhoga, after which the fast is broken. The day is marked by continuous kīrtana and devotional singing in praise of Rādhā throughout Vṛndāvana and Barsānā.