Hinduism reveres Lord Krishna as a central divinity. He is revered both as the Highest God in his own right and as the eighth manifestation of Vishnu. One of the most well-known and highly respected Hindu deities, he is the god of safety, compassion, kindness, and love.
Hindus commemorate Krishna's birthday every year on Krishna Janmashtami, which falls in late August or early September according to the Gregorian calendar.
The stories and accounts of Krishna's life are typically referred to as Krishna Tales. He plays a significant role in the Bhagavata Purana, the Bhagavad Gita, the Brahma Vaivarta Purana, and many other Hindu philosophical, theological, and mythological works.
They present him from a variety of angles, including that of a godchild, practical joker, model-lover, celestial hero, and ultimate being of all creation. His iconography reflects these myths and depicts him in various life stages, such as an infant sucking butter, a young child playing the flute, a young child with Radha or surrounded by female followers, or a young kid offering advice to Arjuna from a benevolent charioteer.
The name Krishna and its variations can be traced back to rituals and literature from the first millennium BCE. Svayam Bhagavan is the name given to Krishna in several sub-traditions, such as Krishnaism (the Supreme God). These auxiliary customs developed in the course of the medieval Bhakti movement.
Many performance arts, including Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Odissi, and Manipuri dance, have been influenced by literature about Krishna.
He is a pan-Hindu god but is particularly revered in some locations, such as Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh, Dwarka and Junagadh in Gujarat; the Jagannatha aspect in Odisha, Mayapur in West Bengal; in the form of Vithoba in Pandharpur, Maharashtra, Shrinathji at Nathdwara in Rajasthan, Udupi Krishna in Karnataka, Parthasarathy in Tamil Nadu and in Aranmula, Kerala, and Guruvayoorappan in Guruvayoor in Kerala.
Since the 1960s, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness has played a significant role in bringing Krishna devotion to the West and Africa (ISKCON)