Braj Explained

Braj
Type:Region
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Name: India
Subdivision Type2:Region
Subdivision Name2:Northern India
Blank Name Sec1:Language
Blank Info Sec1:Braj Bhasha dialect of Hindi
Seat Type:Proposed capitals
Seat:Noida, Agra
Parts Type:Proposed Districts
Parts Style:list
P1:Mathura district
P2:Agra district
P3:Hathras district
P4:Firozabad district
P5:Aligarh district
P6:Kasganj district
P7:Bharatpur district
P8:Karauli district
P9:Morena district
P10:Dholpur district
P11:Faridabad district
P12:Palwal district
P13:Nuh district
P14:Badaun district
P15:Farrukhabad district
P16:Etah district

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 Farrukhabad, Mainpuri and Etah districts.[2] Braj region is associated with Radha and Krishna who according to scriptures were born in Barsana and Mathura respectively. 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 amount 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.

Etymology

The term Braj is derived from the Sanskrit word व्रज vraja.[3] [4] Vraja was first mentioned in Rigveda, and in Sanskrit it means a pasture, shelter or resort for cattle from the Sanskrit term "Sanskrit: vraj" which means "to go" in English.

Braj pilgrimage circuits

See main article: Vraja Parikrama.

See also: 48 kos parikrama of Kurukshetra, Dwarka and Hindu pilgrimage sites in India.

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.

Notable Pilgrimage Sites

Notable pilgrimage sites taken from Entwistle (1987).[5]

Demographics

Hindus form the majority of residents of the Braj region. Among the cultivating and pastoral castes, there are the Jats, Jadaons, 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 prescence of Jains, Sikhs, and Christians.

Braj Culinary tradition

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.[6]

See also

Regional
Religious
Vedic era
General

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. Janet Cochrane, 2008, Asian Tourism: Growth and Change, page 249.
  2. Web site: Sons of Krishna: the politics of Yadav community formation in a North Indian town . London School of Economics and Political Science University of London . PhD Thesis Social Anthropology . 2002 . 20 May 2015 . Lucia Michelutti . 49.
  3. Web site: Sons of Krishna: the politics of Yadav community formation in a North Indian town . London School of Economics and Political Science University of London . PhD Thesis Social Anthropology . 2002 . 20 May 2015 . Lucia Michelutti . 46.
  4. Book: Prasad, Dev. Krishna: A Journey through the Lands & Legends of Krishna. 2015. Jaico Publishing House. 978-81-8495-170-7.
  5. Book: Entwistle, Alan William . Braj: A Center of Krishna Pilgrimage . Egbert Forsten . 1987 . 309-429 . The Pilgrimage Itinerary.
  6. Web site: Braj Cuisine Echoes The Legends Of Lord Krishna, Radha And Holi . 2024-08-17 . Slurrp . en . 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.