At Play with Krishna: Pilgrimage Dramas from Brindavan

Every year thousands of pilgrims travel to Brindavan, the village where Krishna is said to have lived as child, There, in one of north India’s great spiritual centres, they witness a series of religious dramas called ras lilas, whose central roles are performed by children. By translating four plays that collectively span this cycle, John Hawley provides a lively perspective on the mythology of Krishna as Hindus experience it today. His book contains an opening chapter describing the setting in which the plays are enacted and relating them to the religious and emotional world of viewers adn performers, a substantial introduction to each of the four plays, and forty-eight evocative photographs.

Review(s)

“The translations are very well done. The poetic compositions in Braja bhasha that occur in the plays are rendered in lucid language. The book will go a long way to help readers understand the poetry and mysticism of the Ras plays.” – M.L. Varadpande, N

About the Author(s)

JOHN STRATTON HAWLEY is Professor of Asian Languages and Literature at the University of Washington. He is the author of Sur Das: Poet, Singer, Saint and Krishna, The Butter Theif.