President, Prime Minister greet nation on "Janmashtami"

New Delhi, Aug 13 (ANI): President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh today greeted the nation on the occasion of Janmashtami, which will be celebrated tomorrow.

President Patil in her message said: "On the auspicious occasion of Janmashtami, I extend my greetings and best wishes to all my fellow citizens. Let us on this auspicious day remind ourselves of Lord Krishna's message in the Gita, of duty without thought of reward, so that the citizens dedicate themselves to render selfless service to the nation and the welfare of its people".

In his separate message, Dr. Singh said that the festival of Janmashtami celebrates the life and teachings of Lord Krishna, which have an eternal message for all of us.

"May the festival inspire us towards right conduct in the achievement of our goals," the Prime Minister added.

According to Hindu mythology, Krishna is the eighth incarnation of Lord Vishnu, the preserver of the universe and one of the trinity of Gods, the other two being Lord Brahma, the Creator and Lord Shiva, the Destroyer.

Lord Vishnu is said to have taken birth as a human being to destroy the evil King Kansa who ruled over 5000 years ago.

Janmashtami is celebrated on two consecutive days, the day when Krishna was born, and the day when his father Vasudeva brought him to Gokul. (ANI)