Lord vishnu is invoked in his human incarnation as krishna on his birth anniversary in the festival of janmashtami. The idol of the infant krishna is bathed at midnight and is placed in a cradle. Devotional songs and dances mark the celebration of this festive occasion all over Northern India.

On this day, in some parts on India, especially Maharashtra,youths celebrate it by breaking clay pots called 'Dahi-Handi', filled with curd and b*tter suspended high above the ground, young men and children form human pyramid to reach the pot and break it. This custom follows the habit of Lord Krishna who used to steal b*tter in this manner from villagers along with his friends. The reason for this is that Gokul; the place where lord krishna spent his childhood used to generate a lot of milk and the people used to sell it in Mathura,thus depriving their children from milk and b*tter which is very essential for young boys and girls.

In Maharashtra, Janmashtami witnesses the exuberant enactment of the god's childhood endeavors to steal b*tter and curd from earthen pots beyond his reach.