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Braj | |
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     top to bottom: Radha Krishna at Kirti Temple, Barsana, Krishna Janmasthan in Mathura, Radha Rani Temple in Barsana, Prem Mandir in Vrindavan and Kusum Sarovar in Govardhan Hill. | |
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| Country |  India |
| Region | Northern India |
| Language | Braj Bhasha dialect of Hindi |
Braj, also known as Vraj, Vraja, Brij or Brijbhumi, is a region in India on both sides of the Yamuna river with its centre at Mathura-Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh state encompassing the area which also includes Palwal, Ballabhgarh and Nuh in Haryana state, Deeg, Bharatpur, Karauli, and Dholpur in Rajasthan state and Morena District in Madhya Pradesh.[1] Within Uttar Pradesh, it is very well demarcated culturally, the area stretches from the Mathura, Aligarh, Agra, Hathras and districts up to the Etah district.[2] Braj region is associated with Radha and Krishna who according to scriptures were born in Barsana and Mathura respectively.[3][4] It is the main centre of Krishna circuit of Hindu pilgrimage.[1]
It is located 150 km south of Delhi and 50 km northwest of Agra.[1]
Ecologically, the character of Braj has drastically changed in the last 200 years, with a heavy decline in the number of wild animals along with deforestation. Writing in the late 1980s, Entwistle noted there were only a few groves left in the region, and that many sacred sites were being encroached upon by human agricultural settlements.[5]
Etymology
[edit]The term Braj is derived from the Sanskrit word व्रज vraja.[4][6] Vraja was first mentioned in Rigveda, and in Sanskrit it means a pasture, shelter or resort for cattle from the Sanskrit term "vraj" which means "to go" in English.
Braj pilgrimage circuits
[edit]
The Braj Yatra circuit of pilgrimage was formally established by the 16th-century sadhus of the vaishnava sampradaya with fixed routes, itinerary and rituals. The area the circuit covers is spread across 2500 km2 with 84 kos or 300 km long periphery extending 10 km to the east and 50 km to the north and west. Braj has two main types of pilgrimage circuits, the traditional longer Braj Yatra encompassing the whole circuit, and the other shorter significantly modified contemporary point-to-point pilgrimage to visit the main sites at Mathura, Vrindavan, Gokul, Govardhan. The former, longer traditional pilgrimage route, also includes additional sacred sites Nandgaon and Barsana with travel on foot.[1]
Notable pilgrimage sites
[edit]Notable pilgrimage sites taken from Entwistle (1987).[7]
- Mathura
- Madhu Forest
- Radha Kund
- Kusum Sarovar
- Govardhan Hill
- Bachhgaon
- Deeg
- Kaman, Rajasthan
- Barsana
- Nandgaon, Uttar Pradesh
- Kamai, Uttar Pradesh
- Chhata
- Kokilavan
- Paigaon
- Shergarh, Uttar Pradesh
- Bhandirvan, Vrindavan
- Vrindavan
- Baldeo
- Mahaban
- Gokul
Demographics
[edit]Hindus form the majority of residents of the Braj region. Among the cultivating and pastoral castes, there are the Yadavs,[8] Jats, Jadauns, Rajputs, Gujars, Meos, and Chamars. The main merchant castes are Agrawals, Khandelwals, Maheshwaris, and Barahsainis. The major Brahmin castes include the Sanadhyas, Gaurs, Chaubes, and Ahiwasis. Muslims form a small minority, with nearly negligible presence of Jains, Sikhs, and Christians.[9]
Braj culinary tradition
[edit]Braj region is known for its rich and flavorful culinary tradition. The twin cities, Mathura and Vrindavan, which are associated with Shri Krishna are main centers of Braj Cuisine.[10]
See also
[edit]- Regional
- Braj language
- Vajji, the ancient region of the Vṛji janapada that Bajjika evolved from
- Charkula, Braj dance done with wooden pyramids
- Mayur, peacock dance with Krishna and Radha
- Rasiya, local style of music
- Dhrupad, Indian music genre started in Braj
- Religious
- Vedic era
- General
References
[edit]- ^ a b c d Janet Cochrane, 2008, Asian Tourism: Growth and Change, page 249.
- ^ Lucia Michelutti (2002). "Sons of Krishna: the politics of Yadav community formation in a North Indian town" (PDF). PhD Thesis Social Anthropology. London School of Economics and Political Science University of London. p. 49. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
- ^ Lynch, Owen M. (31 December 1990), "ONE. The Social Construction of Emotion in India", Divine Passions, University of California Press, pp. 3–34, doi:10.1525/9780520309753-002, ISBN 978-0-520-30975-3
- ^ a b Lucia Michelutti (2002). "Sons of Krishna: the politics of Yadav community formation in a North Indian town" (PDF). PhD Thesis Social Anthropology. London School of Economics and Political Science University of London. p. 46. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
- ^ Entwistle 1987, p. 2-3.
- ^ Prasad, Dev (2015). Krishna: A Journey through the Lands & Legends of Krishna. Jaico Publishing House. ISBN 978-81-8495-170-7.
- ^ Entwistle, Alan William (1987). "The Pilgrimage Itinerary". Braj: A Center of Krishna Pilgrimage. Egbert Forsten. pp. 309–429.
- ^ Palshikar, Suhas; Kumar, Sanjay; Lodha, Sanjay (3 February 2017). Electoral Politics in India: The Resurgence of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Taylor & Francis. ISBN 978-1-351-99691-4.
- ^ Entwistle 1987, p. 4-8.
- ^ "Braj Cuisine Echoes The Legends Of Lord Krishna, Radha And Holi". Slurrp. Retrieved 17 August 2024.
Even now, Krishna is an integrated part of the Braj community and diet, influencing the culture in indelible ways. The essential elements of Braj cuisine are based on a few beliefs and traditions
Further reading
[edit]- Rupert Snell, The Hindi Classical Tradition: A Braj Bhasa Reader. Includes grammar, readings and translations, and a good glossary.
