Pustimargi Poetry in Gujarati – The Lord of Braj Travelled to Gujarat Twice
By Mallison
Summary
The article explores how the Pustimargi Sampradaya rooted in Vallabhacharya’s sixteenth‑century teachings kept Lord Krishna alive in Gujarat through poetry and ritual. Drawing on the Bhagavata Purana, the author recounts Krishna’s journey from Mathura to Dwarka and notes archaeological evidence for this legend. Vallabhacharya ‘rediscovered’ sacred sites in Braj and established the worship of Govardhananathaji, encouraging devotees to treat the deity as a living child with elaborate offerings of decoration, food and music. Pustimargi devotion flourished among merchant castes in Gujarat, allowing them to combine worldly life with intense devotion. Poets composed in Sanskrit, Brajbhasa and Gujarati, reimagining Krishna’s travels and embedding him in the cultural landscape. Successive acaryas, notably Vallabha’s son Vitthalnath, spread the movement by establishing temples across Gujarat. By the seventeenth century missionary zeal waned but numerous havelis continued to support devotional arts, and Pustimargi poetry remained central to Gujarati culture.
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Conclusion
The author concludes that the Pustimargi tradition’s fusion of household devotion, aesthetics and theology transformed Krishna into a beloved presence in Gujarat. By localising myths and composing accessible poetry, Pustimargi leaders attracted merchant communities and ensured the deity’s enduring relevance across centuries.