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Krishna may also be referred to as Vāsudeva-Krishna, Murlidhar, and Chakradhar. Some names for Krishna hold regional importance Jagannatha, found in Puri Hindu temple, is a popular incarnation in Odisha state and nearby regions of eastern India. Among the most common names are Mohan "enchanter" Govinda "chief herdsman", Keev "prankster", and Gopala "Protector of the 'Go'", which means "Soul" or "the cows".
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Krishna is also known by various other names, epithets, and titles that reflect his many associations and attributes. Based on his name, Krishna is often depicted in idols as black- or blue-skinned. Īs a name of Vishnu, Krishna is listed as the 57th name in the Vishnu Sahasranama. The name is also interpreted sometimes as "all-attractive". The waning moon is called Krishna Paksha, relating to the adjective meaning "darkening". The name "Krishna" originates from the Sanskrit word Kṛṣṇa, which is primarily an adjective meaning "black", "dark", "dark blue" or “the all attractive”. Main article: List of titles and names of Krishna Since the 1960s, the worship of Krishna has also spread to the Western world and to Africa, largely due to the work of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). 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, Parthasarathy in Aranmula, Kerala and Guruvayoorappan in Guruvayoor in Kerala. Krishna-related literature has inspired numerous performance arts such as Bharatanatyam, Kathakali, Kuchipudi, Odissi, and Manipuri dance. These sub-traditions arose in the context of the medieval era Bhakti movement. In some sub-traditions, Krishna is worshipped as Svayam Bhagavan (the Supreme God) and it sometimes known as Krishnaism. The name and synonyms of Krishna have been traced to 1st millennium BCE literature and cults. His iconography reflects these legends, and shows him in different stages of his life, such as an infant eating butter, a young boy playing a flute, a young boy with Radha or surrounded by women devotees, or a friendly charioteer giving counsel to Arjuna. They portray him in various perspectives: a god-child, a prankster, a model lover, a divine hero, and as the universal supreme being. He is a central character in the Mahabharata, the Bhagavata Purana, the Brahma Vaivarta Purana and the Bhagavad Gita, and is mentioned in many Hindu philosophical, theological, and mythological texts. The anecdotes and narratives of Krishna's life are generally titled as Krishna Leela. Krishna's birthday is celebrated every year by Hindus on Krishna Janmashtami according to the lunisolar Hindu calendar, which falls in late August or early September of the Gregorian calendar. He is the god of protection, compassion, tenderness, and love and is one of the most popular and widely revered among Indian divinities. He is worshipped as the eighth avatar of Vishnu and also as the supreme God in his own right. Krishna ( / ˈ k r ɪ ʃ n ə/, pronounced ( listen) Sanskrit: कृष्ण, IAST: Kṛṣṇa) is a major deity in Hinduism.
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