Barsana
Encyclopedia
Barsana or Varsana (alt. spelling) is a town and a nagar panchayat
in the Mathura district
of the state of Uttar Pradesh
, India
.
It is a village near Mathura. Stories from the Hindu
tradition relating to the deity, Krishna
indicate that his favorite gopi
, known as Radha
, spent her childhood in Barsana. The town is thus a site of pilgrimage for many followers of Vaishnavism
, and especially Gaudiya Vaishnavism
which reveres Radha as the most worshippable Goddess, or Shakti
.
The town comes alive every Holi
around March, when the Lath mar Holi
is played here. Tourist from all over flock the city for what is a truly remarkable sight.
Barsana is known for a fervent form of Holi known as the Lath-maar Holi. It takes the form of a procession coming down from Radharani temple. Men from Nand gaon impersonating Krishna, come to play Holi with the ladies of Barsana who play the role of Radha- Lord Krishna's Consort.
The legend has it that Radha and her friend gopis decided to teach a lesson to Krishna for stealing their clothes at a bathing ghat. In remembrance of the friendly revenge the ladies of Barsana charge at men with well oiled lathis( staff)who shield themselves from the blows using leather shields amidst clouds of colour and myrrah.
Barsana comes under the Tehsil Chaata of the Mathura district and has a famous temple built on a small hill in the late 18th century. The culture of the city is replete with numerous legends of Krishna and the Gopis and poetic depiction of the legends are very popular.
The Barsana temple is located on top of a hill which is a part of a small ridge composed of four hills. These hills are revered in the local legends as either the four heads of the god Brahma
, or the three largest peaks as a form of trinity
. Man Mandir is located atop another hill. The temples have a relatively recent construction and are dated to 18th century. The hill is verdant and is known as Ghevarvan.
, Barsana had a population of 9215. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Barsana has an average literacy rate of 53%, lower than the national average of 59.5%; with 66% of the males and 34% of females literate. 19% of the population is under 6 years of age.
Nagar Panchayat
A nagar palika or nagar panchayat is a form of an urban political unit in India comparable to a municipality.An urban centre with more than 30,000 and less than 100,000 inhabitants is classified as a nagar panchayat....
in the Mathura district
Mathura District
Mathura District is a district of Uttar Pradesh state of northern India. The historic town of Mathura is the district headquarters.The district is bounded on the northeast by Aligarh District, on the southeast by Hathras District, on the south by Agra District, and on the west by Rajasthan and...
of the state of Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
History
Hinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
tradition relating to the deity, Krishna
Krishna
Krishna is a central figure of Hinduism and is traditionally attributed the authorship of the Bhagavad Gita. He is the supreme Being and considered in some monotheistic traditions as an Avatar of Vishnu...
indicate that his favorite gopi
Gopi
Gopi is a word of Sanskrit origin meaning 'cow-herd girl'. In Hinduism specifically the name gopi is used more commonly to refer to the group of cow herding girls famous within Vaishnava Theology for their unconditional devotion to Krishna as described in the stories of Bhagavata Purana and...
, known as Radha
Radha
Radha , also called Radhika, Radharani and Radhikarani, is the childhood friend and lover of Krishna in the Bhagavata Purana, and the Gita Govinda of the Vaisnava traditions of Hinduism...
, spent her childhood in Barsana. The town is thus a site of pilgrimage for many followers of Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism
Vaishnavism is a tradition of Hinduism, distinguished from other schools by its worship of Vishnu, or his associated Avatars such as Rama and Krishna, as the original and supreme God....
, and especially Gaudiya Vaishnavism
Gaudiya Vaishnavism
Gaudiya Vaishnavism is a Vaishnava religious movement founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in India in the 16th century. "Gaudiya" refers to the Gauḍa region with Vaishnavism meaning "the worship of Vishnu"...
which reveres Radha as the most worshippable Goddess, or Shakti
Shakti
Shakti from Sanskrit shak - "to be able," meaning sacred force or empowerment, is the primordial cosmic energy and represents the dynamic forces that are thought to move through the entire universe in Hinduism. Shakti is the concept, or personification, of divine feminine creative power, sometimes...
.
The town comes alive every Holi
Holi
Holi , is a religious spring festival celebrated by Hindus. Holi is also known as festival of Colours. It is primarily observed in India, Nepal, Pakistan, and countries with large Indic diaspora populations following Hinduism, such as Suriname, Malaysia, Guyana, South Africa, Trinidad, United...
around March, when the Lath mar Holi
Lath mar Holi
Lath mar Holi takes place well before the actual Holi celebration. It takes place at Barsana near Mathura in the state of Uttar Pradesh. People flock to the suburban town of Barsana near Mathura to see Lath Mar Holi, a special form of traditional festivity....
is played here. Tourist from all over flock the city for what is a truly remarkable sight.
Geography
Barsana is located at 27.65°N 77.38°E. It has an average elevation of 182 metres (597 feet).Barsana is known for a fervent form of Holi known as the Lath-maar Holi. It takes the form of a procession coming down from Radharani temple. Men from Nand gaon impersonating Krishna, come to play Holi with the ladies of Barsana who play the role of Radha- Lord Krishna's Consort.
The legend has it that Radha and her friend gopis decided to teach a lesson to Krishna for stealing their clothes at a bathing ghat. In remembrance of the friendly revenge the ladies of Barsana charge at men with well oiled lathis( staff)who shield themselves from the blows using leather shields amidst clouds of colour and myrrah.
Barsana comes under the Tehsil Chaata of the Mathura district and has a famous temple built on a small hill in the late 18th century. The culture of the city is replete with numerous legends of Krishna and the Gopis and poetic depiction of the legends are very popular.
The Barsana temple is located on top of a hill which is a part of a small ridge composed of four hills. These hills are revered in the local legends as either the four heads of the god Brahma
Brahma
Brahma is the Hindu god of creation and one of the Trimurti, the others being Vishnu and Shiva. According to the Brahma Purana, he is the father of Mānu, and from Mānu all human beings are descended. In the Ramayana and the...
, or the three largest peaks as a form of trinity
Trinity
The Christian doctrine of the Trinity defines God as three divine persons : the Father, the Son , and the Holy Spirit. The three persons are distinct yet coexist in unity, and are co-equal, co-eternal and consubstantial . Put another way, the three persons of the Trinity are of one being...
. Man Mandir is located atop another hill. The temples have a relatively recent construction and are dated to 18th century. The hill is verdant and is known as Ghevarvan.
Demographics
India censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, Barsana had a population of 9215. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Barsana has an average literacy rate of 53%, lower than the national average of 59.5%; with 66% of the males and 34% of females literate. 19% of the population is under 6 years of age.