Radha Ashtami 2010 – Radhashtami

Birthday of Radha is celebrated as Radhaashtami throughout the country and especially in the north, with full devotion and joy. Radha Ashtami is observed after 15 days of Janmashtami, which is celebrated as the birthday of Lord Krishna. Radharani's birthday is the sacred eighth day of the month of Bhadrapada (August-September). Sri Radha was born in Barsana, suburb of Mathura and appeared as the daughter of Vrishabhanu and Kirti.

Celebration
On the day of Radhaashtami, devotees are allowed special sanctions which are not allowed generally. Like, Radharani's name is usually not chanted due to the possibility of committing faults towards her. Neither people are allowed to enter into Radha Kunda, or Radharani's Pond, which is considered holy. On the day of Radhastami, people wait until midnight in order to bathe there. People chant her names on the ''appearance day'' or birthday of Sri Radha. Radharani is believed to ''appear'', being an eternal companion of Krishna, she does not take birth or die.

Radhastami- A Belief
Sri Radha was older to Lord Krishna and it is believed that the divine girl did not open her eyes until Sri Krishna was born. The relationship of Sri Krishna and Radha surpasses human concepts and is spiritual in nature. It is redundant to affirm that one may attain Krishna only through the Grace of Radha. 

To understand the relationship between Radha and Krishna, first we have to clear the worldly impurities from our mind, which is clogging our vision. Once these impurities are removed we will understand the true meaning of Raslila – the individual soul realizing that it is part of the universal soul, which is a continuity.

It is always Radha and Krishna together or simply Radhakrishna. Radha exists with Krishna; not without Krishna. Radha represents the individual soul and Krishna the universal soul. On a lower level, we say the individual soul merges with the universal soul.

In fact, Radha on seeing Krishna realizes that there is nothing called the individual soul and that she is Krishna.

Mani Mahesh Yatra in Himachal Pradesh ends on the day.