Reading the Myth and Reality of Vrindavan

Vrindavan is commonly referred to as the abode of the mythic-literary-celestialcouple Radha-Krishna, and is an epicenter of religious and spiritual questing and global sociocultural hub. Huge numbers of visitors come to the town to frequently and regularly express their faith. For them, Vrindavan is a metaphor of love, bliss and spirituality. Visiting Vrindavan can be seen as going to meet Krishna. However, Vrindavan is not only a religious center, it is also just like any other town, with many dimensions to its character. As a living organism, Vrindavan has its body, its soul, its beauty, its ugliness and its ordinariness. It breathes; it talks and feels pain as well. But this material reality with all its complexities is generally overshadowed by the brightness of its religious halo. This mythical and metaphoric construct of Vrindavan has veiled its real and complete identity. There must be a town in ‘Vrindavan’ and ‘Vrindavan’ in the town. This article attempts to describe this dual character.