Krishna (/krn/; Sanskrit: , K a in IAST, pronounced [krr] (

listen)) is a major deity

worshiped across many traditions of religion in a variety of different perspectives. Krishna is

recognised as the Svayam Bhagavan in his own right or as the complete/absolute incarnation
of Lord Vishnu. Krishna is one of the most widely revered and popular of all Hindu deities.[1] Krishna's
birthday is celebrated every year by Hindus on the eighth day (Ashtami) of the Krishna Paksha (dark
fortnight) of the month of Bhadrapad in the Hindu calendar.[2]
Krishna is also known as Govinda, Mukunda, Madhusudhana and Vasudeva. Krishna is often
described and portrayed as an infant eating butter, a young boy playing a flute as in the Bhagavata
Puaa,[3] a young man along with Radha, a young man surrounded by beautiful women or as an
elder giving direction and guidance as in the Bhagavad Gita.[4]The stories of Krishna appear across a
broad spectrum of Hindu philosophical and theological traditions.[5] They portray him in various
perspectives: a god-child, a prankster, a model lover, a divine hero, and the Supreme Being. [6]The
principal scriptures discussing Krishna's story are the Simad Bhagavatam, the Mahabhaata,
the Haivama, theBhagavata Puaa, and the Vihu Puaa. The anecdotes and narratives of
Krishna, in topic, are generally titled asKiha Leela.
Worship of the deity Krishna, either in the form of deity Krishna or in the form of Vasudeva, Bala
Krishna or Gopala can be traced to as early as the 4th century BC.[7][8] Worship of Krishna as Svayam
Bhagava, or the supreme being, known as Krishnaism, arose in the Middle Ages in the context of
the Bhakti movement. From the 10th century AD, Krishna became a favourite subject in performing
arts and regional traditions of devotion developed for forms of Krishna such
as Jagannatha in Odisha, Vithoba in Maharashtra and Shrinathji in Rajasthan. Since the 1960s the
worship of Krishna has also spread in the Western world and in Africa largely due to the International
Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON).[9] Gaudia Math is also a leading proponent of Krishna
worship.[citatio eeded]
Some religiously oriented scholars have tried to calculate dates for the birth of Krishna, some
believing that Krishna, under the name of 'Vasudeva Govinda Krishna Shauri', flourished as the ruler
of Shuraseni and Vrishni tribes on the now-submerged island of Dwaraka (off coast Gujarat, India)
sometime between 3200-3100 BC.[2]