Story of Lord Krishna

Story of Lord Krishna reflects life in the pastoral society where cattle were a principal means of sustenance. As a kid, Lord Krishna is said to have been very naughty and his favorite prank was to break the matkas(earthen pots) of milk and butter that owners used to hang from the roof. He would come with his co-conspirators and make a human pyramid to reach the pots and then break them to devour the delicious butter. Even today during Janmashthmi(a festival to honor Lord Krishna's birth),people make such pyramids and try to break the "matkas" that are hung high up by ropes!

The main story of Krishna's birth is a very interesting one. When the Gods were tired of the tyranny of Kansa, the king of Mathura, they decided to send a savior to the world. In his dream the king was told that he would be killed by the son of Devaki, his sister. So, Kansa promptly sent Devaki and her husband Vasudev to the prison where he killed six of their sons. However in a miraculous turn of fate, the next son, Lord Krishna was rescued and taken to a neighboring kingdom, Gokul by Vasudev. Vasudev had to cross the river Yamuna to reach Gokul where Krishna was protected and brought up as a son by Nanda, the ruler of Gokul.

Thus the days of child-Krishna's life were spent in mischief and fun in Gokul. He is always shown to carry a flute and is considered the Hindu God of music. As a young man he played pranks on all the gopis (women-folk) and also enchanted them with his mellifluous music. He won all hearts with his playfulness and flute renditions.
He also saved a number of lives by lifting Mount Govardhan to save the people of Gokul from a storm. He tamed Kalia, a giant snake that lived in the Yamuna river and terrorized the people of Gokul. While still in his teens, Krishna came to Mathura where King Kansa had organized a wrestling tournament. Krishna participated in it and after defeating all the contestants, he challenged Kansa to a wrestling bout. The evil king's time was up- he was defeated and the prophesy of gods had come true.
Another important aspect of Krishna's life was his friendship with the Pandavas and the guidance he provided them during the famous Mahabharata war. In fact he is said to be the one to have talked about the profound ideas that make up the Bhagvad Geeta- an important document containing all the sensitive issues man has to face in his life. A lot of his popularity outside India has to do with the Hare Rama Hare Krishna (ISKCON) movement which is a spiritual movement dedicated to achieving beauty and spiritual joy in one's life. This was also what Lord Krishna achieved - his followers adore him for his wisdom as well as his joyous and loving nature.