What is Braj?

Braj falls well inside the 'golden triangle', stretching from Delhi south to Agra and west to Jaipur in Rajasthan, and was the setting for many of the events recorded in the Mahabharata, the epic history of ancient India. Mathura, Krishna's birthplace seven miles south-west of Vrindavan, is one of India's oldest cities.

The Braj geography is a flat plain. The Yamuna river winds it way from north to south on the eastern edge. There are low-lying hills on the western edge.

Braj is the land where Krishna, one of the most popular gods in Hindu mythology, grew up. This is the land where young Krishna roamed, making merry with his cowherd friends and killing demons that threatened his pastoral community. It is the land where Krishna experiences pleasure and delight where he dances with the women of Braj, who are captivated by his charisma.

Context

The Braj region has a rich ecological, architectural and cultural heritage. It deifies the intertwining of environment, ritual and deity. Historically as well as spiritually, the Braj Landscape is intrinsically woven into the web of Indian culture. It is a live example of how environmental consciousness can be effectively motivated through generations; and its protection, revival and restoration should naturally follow, especially for the believer.

Krishna, was a vital link between people, their ecology and environment. Sacred scriptures have numerous examples of how nature and ecology were powerful elements during Krishna’s life and times. for example Krishna tells his father,

“lksdjh kldjkd” Srimad Bhagwad
“the cities, the cultured lands nor the villages or their houses are ours. we are the forest people, dear father, and will always live in the forests and the hills”.

Scholars believe that the legend surrounding Krishna especially from his birth to youth tells us to respect and revere nature as much as the deity.  Mythology depicts him purifying the five elements by vanquishing the demons or pollutants from each.