| Dr. Shakuntala Gawde was awarded the Minor Research Project Grant (2019–2020) by the University of Mumbai for the research project titled “Govardhanamāhātmya in Texts and Tradition: A Sociological and Philosophical Exegesis.” Abstract: Govardhanamāhātmya plays a key role in shaping the cultural notions about Vraja. This study analysed different narratives describing the glory of Govardhana from sociological and philosophical perspective. The objective of this research was to explore the cultural history of Govardhana mountain through literary sources of Vaiṣṇavism. Govardhana is symbolic of great social process of “assimilation and acculturation” which is the crux of Hinduism. It not only proves that religion was always adaptive to include new changes and new reforms but gives the idea of all-inclusive approach of Kṛṣṇa philosophy. This study proposes that Vaiṣṇavism has gone through revolutionary changes from the beginning and attained its current form. Philosophical study throws light on the principle that how Govardhana has attained a transcendental status for devotees. |
Project on Govardhana Mahatmya
