Krishna's Playground (Vrindavan in the 21st Century)

DETAILS : 

• Author : John Stratton Hawley
  
• Publisher ‏ : ‎ Oxford University Press
  
• Publication date ‏ : ‎ 10 January 2020
  
• Language ‏ : ‎ English
  
• Paperback ‏ : ‎ 382 pages
  
• ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0190123982 
  
• ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 9780190123987
  
• Weight : 850 g

ABOUT THE BOOK

Krishna's Playground: Vrindavan in the 21st Century is a masterpiece of contemporary scholarship by John Stratton Hawley, one of the world’s leading experts on Krishna devotion. The book offers a vivid, multifaceted portrait of Vrindavan as it grapples with the pressures of the modern world.

Hawley moves beyond the idealized "Vraja" of ancient poetry to explore the real-world Vrindavan of today—a place where timeless religious fervor meets rapid urbanization, mass tourism, and environmental crisis. It is a study of how a "sacred playground" survives and adapts when its forests are replaced by concrete and its river (the Yamuna) faces severe pollution.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

John Stratton Hawley (often called "Jack" Hawley) is a Professor of Religion at Barnard College, Columbia University. He has spent decades living in and studying North India, particularly the Braj region. His work is known for blending rigorous academic research with a deep, empathetic appreciation for the lived experience of devotees. He is also the author of acclaimed works like A Storm of Songs and Sur’s Ocean.