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||'''[[Introduction]]''' || '''[[History]]''' || '''[[Art]]'''|| '''[[Marvels]]'''|| '''[[Reference]]''' | ||'''[[Introduction]]''' || '''[[History]]''' || '''[[Art]]'''|| '''[[Marvels]]'''|| '''[[Reference]]''' | ||
Revision as of 14:03, 7 June 2009
| Introduction | History | Art | Marvels | Reference |
Brajdiscovery
Through this web site (www.brajdiscovery.org) we would like you to be part of a unique journey which is directly related to History, culture, society, archeology, art, religion - community, tourist spot and talent of Braj. We look forward to your participation in it. If you have any noteworthy Braj related photos, articles, books, fact, Memoirs, cultural video clips, etc., you are most welcome to add them to www.brajdiscovery.org. We request you to share them with the world by making them easily accessible on www.brajdiscovery.org. Braj culture has flourished and prospered on the shores of Yamuna. The day is not too far when Yamuna will dry out because of water pollution. The consequences of this can be easily predicted by the examples from the history of Saraswati, Indus and Nile river. Eventually, the Braj culture will vanish away with Yamuna river getting dry.
Braj
Location: Mathura-Vrindavan
North- 27.28 East- 77.41 National Highway 2, Delhi-Agra Bypass NH 2, 146 kms from New Delhi, 60 Kms from Agra ( the Tajmahal )
...OF all the sacred places in India, none enjoys a greater popularity than the capital of Braj, the holy city of Mathura. For nine months in the year festival follows upon festival in rapid succession, and the ghats and temples are daily thronged with new troops of way-worn pilgrims. So great is the sanctity of the spot that its panegyrists do not hesitate to declare that a single day spent at Mathura is more meritorious than a lifetime passed at Banaras.- ( F.S.Growse- District Megistrate Mathura 1871-1877 )
Legend goes that no one ever living in Braj Bhoomi wishes to go to Moksha after death since who ever ends his journey of life would end up as a tree. Probably the worlds first ever recorded “Save our environment” mass movement. It goes on to prove that if a movement to succeed, it has to become a way of life.
Braj, fondly suffixed as Braj Bhoomi, Braj wasi and Braj Bhasha, when you travers back in time through our history, myth, puranas, and folklore was spread across the area, starting from Palwal, Haryana in the north to Gwalior, MP in the south and Bharatpur, Rajasthan in the west to Etah, UP in the east.
- Lord Krishna, Arjuna’s Charioteer, the mischievous child, the ethereal lover of 16000 gopikas played out his blissful and ecstatic Raasa Leela here...
- It is here in NidhiVan, it once resonated with Swami Haridasa’s soulfully chantings...
- Blind Poet Surdas who spearheaded the bhakti movement...
- the home to Bihrailal Mathur , much acclaimed court poet and accomplished writer of couplets....
- and who hasn’t heard of Mira bai (Meera) whose bhajans the legendary M..S.Subbalakshmi has immortalized for eternity... List probably will never end !!!
“Civilization is a movement and not a condition, a voyage and not a harbour “ -Arnold Toynbee. Braj would probably classify as a civilization whether you go along with the well known British Historian or if one strictly goes by the definition of a dictionary .
civilization -, civilisation (a society in an advanced state of social development (e.g., with complex legal and political and religious organizations)) "the people slowly progressed from barbarism to civilization"
From the earliest references to Mathura in Harivansha Purana of the Mahabharata fame , to a well developed and prosperous city, Braj of which Mathura was a part, has been a movement which slowly encompassed the area it exists as of now.
In fact the earliest references to a loose form of democracy are from lord Krishna’s time. It is claimed that the ways and means of distributing wealth attained through wars was decided by the various leaders of yadav clan through a form of informal voting . There is even a mention of two parties, Andhak and Vrishni. Who had a system of voting to decide their leaders.Legend goes that Kans,son of Ugrasen who was heading the Andhak party was nurturing ideas of dictatorship . Then the people belonging to Andhak represented by Akroor invited Lord Krishna who belonged to Vrishni Party to kill their leader Kans so as to save democracy .
Braj Bhasha become the language of the choice of literature, poetry and later on the bhakti movement. Be it Surdas or Amir khusro the language in which they conveyed their poetry, bhajan and songs was Braj Bhasha. What will Hindustani classical music be without Braj Bhasha , probably it wouldn’t have existed in its present form. Braj from being a spoken dialect had its golden moments from the times of santa Surdas to Amir Khusro. Even today Braj Bhasha is being used in popular hindi film songs when a particular word in hindi fails to convey a sense of ethos.
Braj has managed to hold its own all through the times of Maurya’s, and blossomed be it poetry, literature, music and the bhakti most of the time absorbing the local influences .
Braj has been a an epicenter of religious movement is an established fact . From the home of Lord Krishna to the home of bhakti movement, it has left an indelible mark on literature, music, theater and visual arts. Nautanki known as saangeeth, an established form of enacting stories from puranas, myths, history and last but not the least Raas leela of Lord Krishna. The bhakti movement which boasts of such greats like Surdas, Meera and Ras khan has left an irreplaceable impression on the modern Hindustani music to popular bollywood music .
Braj as the british historian said of Civilazation, is an voyage not a harbour . Brajdiscovery through its humble efforts is a beginning of a voyage and want you to join hands in this never ending journey .
Notes
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Welcome to Brajdiscovery Mathura Vrindavan