Introduction
Archaeological excavations in the Braj region, and lo behold!
We uncover a series of discoveries that showcase our civilizational prowess that comes with the sacred at its core. These excavations at Bahaj were carried out by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) under the expert supervision of Dr. Vinay Kumar Gupta, Superintending Archaeologist, Jaipur Circle, ASI, who published a paper on his critical and marvelous findings. Based on his publications, we have curated a series of seven articles walking you through the background, history, process, findings, and the impact of these findings on our history. Here is part one of this series describing the etymology and origin, history, extent, and scriptural traces and paurāṇika descriptions of the sacred land of Braj.
Scriptural References of Braj:
‘Vraja’ is an old Saṃskṛta word that has now changed to Braj in the popular local dialect. Vraja and Braj/Brij words are presently used to denote a particular area related to the childhood activities of Bhagavāna Kṛṣṇa. word Vraja is derived from Saṃskṛta dhātu Vraj, which, as per the dictionary (Katre 1969: 337), means “to go, to walk, to proceed” implying “motion and movement”. The place where cows move or graze has also been called Vraja (vrajanti gāvo yasminniti vrajaḥ).
