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| blank_name_sec1 = [[Language]]
| blank_name_sec1 = [[Language]]
| blank_info_sec1 = [[Braj Bhasha]] dialect of [[Hindi]]
| blank_info_sec1 = [[Braj Bhasha]] dialect of [[Hindi]]
| seat_type = Proposed [[Capital (political)|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]]
}}
}}


'''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 district|Mathura]]-[[Vrindavan]] in [[Uttar Pradesh]] state encompassing the area which also includes [[Palwal]], [[Ballabhgarh]] and [[Nuh (city)|Nuh]] in [[Haryana]] state, [[Deeg district|Deeg]], [[Bharatpur district|Bharatpur]], [[karauli district|Karauli]], and [[Dholpur district|Dholpur]] in [[Rajasthan]] state and [[Morena District]] in [[Madhya Pradesh]].<ref name="janet1">Janet Cochrane, 2008, [https://books.google.com/books?id=LC4c7i3WrPgC&dq=Braj+region+covers+haryana+and+rajasthan&pg=PA249 Asian Tourism: Growth and Change], page 249.</ref> Within Uttar Pradesh, it is very well demarcated culturally, the area stretches from the [[Mathura district|Mathura]], [[Aligarh]], [[Agra district|Agra]], [[Hathras district|Hathras]] and districts up to the [[Farrukhabad district|Farrukhabad]], [[Mainpuri district|Mainpuri]] and [[Etah district|Etah]] districts.<ref name="LuciaMichelutti1">{{cite web | url=http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/2106/1/U613338.pdf | title=Sons of Krishna: the politics of Yadav community formation in a North Indian town | publisher=London School of Economics and Political Science University of London | work=PhD Thesis Social Anthropology | date=2002 | access-date=20 May 2015 | author=Lucia Michelutti | pages=49}}</ref> Braj region is associated with [[Radha]] and [[Krishna]] who according to scriptures were born in [[Barsana]] and [[Mathura]] respectively.<ref>{{Citation|title=ONE. The Social Construction of Emotion in India|date=1990-12-31|work=Divine Passions|pages=3–34|publisher=University of California Press|doi=10.1525/9780520309753-002|isbn=978-0-520-30975-3|last1=Lynch |first1=Owen M. }}</ref><ref name="Lucia Michelutti00"/> It is the main centre of [[Hindu pilgrimage sites in India|Krishna circuit of Hindu pilgrimage]].<ref name=janet1/>
'''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 district|Mathura]]-[[Vrindavan]] in [[Uttar Pradesh]] state encompassing the area which also includes [[Palwal]], [[Ballabhgarh]] and [[Nuh (city)|Nuh]] in [[Haryana]] state, [[Deeg district|Deeg]], [[Bharatpur district|Bharatpur]], [[karauli district|Karauli]], and [[Dholpur district|Dholpur]] in [[Rajasthan]] state and [[Morena District]] in [[Madhya Pradesh]].<ref name="janet1">Janet Cochrane, 2008, [https://books.google.com/books?id=LC4c7i3WrPgC&dq=Braj+region+covers+haryana+and+rajasthan&pg=PA249 Asian Tourism: Growth and Change], page 249.</ref> Within Uttar Pradesh, it is very well demarcated culturally, the area stretches from the [[Mathura district|Mathura]], [[Aligarh]], [[Agra district|Agra]], [[Hathras district|Hathras]] and districts up to the [[Etah district|Etah]] district.<ref name="LuciaMichelutti1">{{cite web | url=http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/2106/1/U613338.pdf | title=Sons of Krishna: the politics of Yadav community formation in a North Indian town | publisher=London School of Economics and Political Science University of London | work=PhD Thesis Social Anthropology | date=2002 | access-date=20 May 2015 | author=Lucia Michelutti | pages=49}}</ref> Braj region is associated with [[Radha]] and [[Krishna]] who according to scriptures were born in [[Barsana]] and [[Mathura]] respectively.<ref>{{Citation|title=ONE. The Social Construction of Emotion in India|date=1990-12-31|work=Divine Passions|pages=3–34|publisher=University of California Press|doi=10.1525/9780520309753-002|isbn=978-0-520-30975-3|last1=Lynch |first1=Owen M. }}</ref><ref name="Lucia Michelutti00"/> It is the main centre of [[Hindu pilgrimage sites in India|Krishna circuit of Hindu pilgrimage]].<ref name=janet1/>


It is located 150&nbsp;km south of [[Delhi]] and 50&nbsp;km northwest of Agra.<ref name=janet1/>
It is located 150&nbsp;km south of [[Delhi]] and 50&nbsp;km northwest of Agra.<ref name=janet1/>

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.{{Sfn|Entwistle|1987|p=2-3}}


==Etymology==
==Etymology==
The term Braj is derived from the [[Sanskrit]] word ''vraja (व्रज)''.<ref name="Lucia Michelutti00">{{cite web | url=http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/2106/1/U613338.pdf | title=Sons of Krishna: the politics of Yadav community formation in a North Indian town | publisher=London School of Economics and Political Science University of London | work=PhD Thesis Social Anthropology | date=2002 | access-date=20 May 2015 | author=Lucia Michelutti | pages=46}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Prasad|first=Dev|title=Krishna: A Journey through the Lands & Legends of Krishna|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o0_5caqiUH0C&pg=PT16|year=2015|publisher=Jaico Publishing House|isbn=978-81-8495-170-7}}</ref> Vraja was first mentioned in [[Rigveda]], and in [[Sanskrit]] it means a [[goshala|pasture, shelter or resort for cattle]] from the Sanskrit term ''"{{lang|sa-Latn|vraj}}"'' which means ''"go"'' in English.
The term Braj is derived from the [[Sanskrit]] word व्रज ''vraja''.<ref name="Lucia Michelutti00">{{cite web | url=http://etheses.lse.ac.uk/2106/1/U613338.pdf | title=Sons of Krishna: the politics of Yadav community formation in a North Indian town | publisher=London School of Economics and Political Science University of London | work=PhD Thesis Social Anthropology | date=2002 | access-date=20 May 2015 | author=Lucia Michelutti | pages=46}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last=Prasad|first=Dev|title=Krishna: A Journey through the Lands & Legends of Krishna|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o0_5caqiUH0C&pg=PT16|year=2015|publisher=Jaico Publishing House|isbn=978-81-8495-170-7}}</ref> Vraja was first mentioned in [[Rigveda]], and in [[Sanskrit]] it means a [[goshala|pasture, shelter or resort for cattle]] from the Sanskrit term ''"{{lang|sa-Latn|vraj}}"'' which means "to go" in English.


==Braj pilgrimage circuits==
==Braj pilgrimage circuits==
Line 45: Line 31:
{{see | 48 kos parikrama of Kurukshetra | Dwarka | Hindu pilgrimage sites in India }}
{{see | 48 kos parikrama of Kurukshetra | Dwarka | Hindu pilgrimage sites in India }}


⚫
The'' [[Vraja Parikrama|Braj Yatra]]'' circuit of pilgrimage was formally established by the 16th-century [[sadhu]]s of the [[Sampradaya#Vaishnava sampradayas|vaishnava sampradaya]] with fixed routes, itinerary and rituals. The area the circuit covers is spread across 2500&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> with 84 [[Kos (unit)|kos]] or 300&nbsp;km long periphery extending 10&nbsp;km to the east and 50&nbsp;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, Uttar Pradesh|Nandgaon]] and [[Barsana]] with travel on foot.<ref name="janet1" />
Since this is a site associated with the [[Vedic era]], Lord Krishna and [[Mahabharata]], it is an important place of [[pilgrimage]] for [[Hindu]]s. It is one of the three main pilgrimage sites related to ''Krishna'' circuit, namely ''[[48 kos parikrama of Kurukshetra]]'' in [[Haryana]] state, ''[[Vraja Parikrama]]'' in [[Mathura]] in [[Uttar Pradesh]] and ''[[Dwarkadhish Temple#Pilgrimage|Dwarka Parikrama]]'' (Dwarkadish yatra) at [[Dwarkadhish Temple]] in [[Gujarat]].

=== Notable pilgrimage sites ===
Notable pilgrimage sites taken from Entwistle (1987).<ref>{{Cite book |last=Entwistle |first=Alan William |title=Braj: A Center of Krishna Pilgrimage |publisher=Egbert Forsten |year=1987 |pages=309–429 |chapter=The Pilgrimage Itinerary}}</ref>
* [[Mathura]]
** [[Vishram Ghat]]
** [[Krishna Janmasthan Temple Complex]]
** [[Kans Quila]]
** [[Dwarkadhish Temple, 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]]
** [[Radha Madan Mohan Temple, Vrindavan|Radha Madan Mohan Temple]]
** [[Banke Bihari Temple]]
** [[Radha Vallabh Temple, Vrindavan|Radha Vallabh Temple]]
** [[Radha Damodar Temple, Vrindavan|Radha Damodar Temple]]
** [[Nidhivan, Vrindavan|Nidhivan]]
** [[Radha Raman Temple, Vrindavan|Radha Raman Temple]]
* [[Baldeo]]
* [[Mahaban]]
* [[Gokul]]

== Demographics ==
Hindus form the majority of residents of the Braj region. Among the cultivating and pastoral castes, there are the [[Yadav|Yadavs]],<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Palshikar |first1=Suhas |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ONcNDgAAQBAJ&dq=Braj+area+%28Doab+Yadavs&pg=PT62 |title=Electoral Politics in India: The Resurgence of the Bharatiya Janata Party |last2=Kumar |first2=Sanjay |last3=Lodha |first3=Sanjay |date=2017-02-03 |publisher=Taylor & Francis |isbn=978-1-351-99691-4 |language=en}}</ref> [[Jats]], [[Jadaun (clan)|Jadauns]], [[Rajput|Rajputs]], [[Gujars]], [[Meo (ethnic group)|Meos]], and [[Chamar|Chamars]]. The main merchant castes are [[Agrawal|Agrawals]], [[Khandelwal Vaishya|Khandelwals]], [[Maheshwari|Maheshwaris]], and [[Varshney|Barahsainis]]. The major Brahmin castes include the [[Sanadhya Brahmin|Sanadhyas]], [[Gaur Brahmins|Gaurs]], [[Chaube|Chaubes]], and [[Ahiwasi|Ahiwasis]]. Muslims form a small minority, with nearly negligible presence of Jains, Sikhs, and Christians.{{Sfn|Entwistle|1987|p=4-8}}


== Braj culinary tradition ==
⚫
The'' [[Vraja Parikrama|Braj Yatra]]'' circuit of pilgrimage was formally established by the 16th-century [[sadhu]]s of the [[Sampradaya#Vaishnava sampradayas|vaishnava sampradaya]] with fixed routes, itinerary and rituals. The area the circuit covers is spread across 2500&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup> with 84 [[Kos (unit)|kos]] or 300&nbsp;km long periphery extending 10&nbsp;km to the east and 50&nbsp;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, Uttar Pradesh|Nandgaon]] and [[Barsana]] with travel on foot.<ref name=janet1/>
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]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Braj Cuisine Echoes The Legends Of Lord Krishna, Radha And Holi |url=https://www.slurrp.com/article/holi-2023-braj-cuisine-echoes-the-legends-of-lord-krishna-radha-and-holi-1677850126840 |access-date=2024-08-17 |website=Slurrp |language=en |quote=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}}</ref>


==See also==
==See also==
Line 53: Line 76:
* [[Braj language]]
* [[Braj language]]
* [[Vajjika League|Vajji]], the ancient region of the Vṛji janapada that Bajjika evolved from
* [[Vajjika League|Vajji]], the ancient region of the Vṛji janapada that Bajjika evolved from
* [[Charkula]], Braj dance done with wooden pyramids
* [http://www.indianfolkdances.com/mayur-dance.html Mayur], peacock dance with Krishna and Radha
* [[Rasiya]], local style of music
* [[Dhrupad]], Indian music genre started in Braj


; Religious
; Religious

Latest revision as of 15:59, 5 November 2024

For the language, see Braj Bhasha.
"Brij Bhoomi" redirects here. For the 1982 film, see Brij Bhoomi (film).

Braj
Region
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.
Map
Country India
RegionNorthern India
LanguageBraj 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]

Main article: Vraja Parikrama
Further information: 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.[1]

Notable pilgrimage sites

[edit]

Notable pilgrimage sites taken from Entwistle (1987).[7]

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]
  1. ^ a b c d Janet Cochrane, 2008, Asian Tourism: Growth and Change, page 249.
  2. ^ 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.
  3. ^ 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
  4. ^ 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.
  5. ^ Entwistle 1987, p. 2-3.
  6. ^ Prasad, Dev (2015). Krishna: A Journey through the Lands & Legends of Krishna. Jaico Publishing House. ISBN 978-81-8495-170-7.
  7. ^ Entwistle, Alan William (1987). "The Pilgrimage Itinerary". Braj: A Center of Krishna Pilgrimage. Egbert Forsten. pp. 309–429.
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ Entwistle 1987, p. 4-8.
  10. ^ "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.

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