Figure in the Hindu festival stories
Nanda
Krishna's foster father, chief of Gokul
Also known as Nanda Baba.
In short
Nanda (Nanda Baba) is Krishna's foster father and the chief of the cowherd (gopa) community of Gokul in the Vraja region. A cousin or close kinsman of Vasudeva, he and his wife Yashoda raised Krishna as their own son, giving the child-god the pastoral upbringing celebrated throughout the Krishna tradition.
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Nanda’s story and role
In the Bhagavata Purana, Nanda is the leader of the cowherds of Gokul and Vrindavan, a prosperous, gentle and devout man. He and Vasudeva are close kinsmen and friends, which is why Vasudeva chooses Nanda's home as the safe haven for the newborn Krishna. On the night of the birth, the baby Krishna is placed beside Yashoda and Nanda accepts him as his own son.
Nanda performs the birth ceremonies for Krishna in Gokul and raises him alongside Balarama, who is likewise brought up in Vraja. As the boys' foster father he presides over the cowherd community through Krishna's childhood — the lifting of Govardhan hill, the taming of the serpent Kaliya, and the defeat of the demons Kansa sends. His household and herds are the setting for Krishna's pastoral leelas.
For the Janmashtami celebration — observed the following day in many regions as Nandotsav, the 'festival of Nanda' rejoicing at the child's arrival — Nanda represents the joy of the foster father and the community that receives the Divine. He shelters and raises the avatar without knowing his cosmic identity, purely out of love and duty.
What Nanda represents
Nanda symbolises the devoted foster father and the joyful, protective community that shelters the Divine — steadfast care and simple, loving guardianship offered without expectation.
Festivals with Nanda
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About Nanda
Who is Nanda in the Krishna story?
Nanda, often called Nanda Baba, is Krishna's foster father and the chief of the cowherds of Gokul. He and his wife Yashoda raised Krishna after Vasudeva brought the newborn to their home to protect him from Kansa.
Was Nanda Krishna's real father?
No. Krishna's biological father was Vasudeva. Nanda was his foster father who lovingly raised him in Gokul, which is why Krishna is known both as the son of Vasudeva and as the darling of Nanda (Nandalala).
What is Nandotsav?
Nandotsav, or Nanda Utsav, is the celebration held the day after Janmashtami marking the joy in Nanda's household at Krishna's arrival in Gokul. Devotees celebrate with sweets, songs and festivities in the spirit of the cowherd community's rejoicing.
What was Nanda's role in the community?
According to the Bhagavata Purana, Nanda was the head of the cowherd (gopa) settlement of Gokul and Vrindavan, a respected and devout leader whose home and herds form the backdrop for Krishna's pastoral childhood.
How is Nanda related to Vasudeva?
Nanda and Vasudeva are described as close kinsmen and friends in the tradition. Their bond is why Vasudeva trusted Nanda's home in Gokul as the safest place to hide and raise the newborn Krishna.
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