Journey through the Twelve Forests: An Encounter with Krishna [Paperback]

David L. Haberman (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0195084799 | ISBN-13: 978-0195084795 | Publication Date: April 28, 1994

A lively account of the Ban Yatra, a circular pilgrimage that takes place in the northern Indian land of Braj, this anthropological chronicle offers an appealing mixture of personal anecdote, religious theory, Indian history, and tales of the gods. Based on personal experience in the field, a combination of primary sources in Sanskrit, Hindi, and Bengali--many never before translated into Western languages--and a wide range of secondary literature, Haberman places the pilgrimage in its cultural and historical context. He interweaves his account with retellings of the tales of Krishna, perhaps the most popular of Indian deities and the entity around which the journey revolves. In the process, Haberman explores the effects of the Ban-Yatra upon its participants and weighs its particular implications for current theories about pilgrimage in general. The first thorough study of this kind of cyclical Hindu pilgrimage, Journey through the Twelve Forests will interest any student of South Asian culture and pilgrimage.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is an engaging book of high scholarly quality on a subject about which very little has been written to date. Journey through the Twelve Forests ranks along with Irawati Karve's "On the Road, a Maharashtrian Pilgrimage" (1962), Ann Grodzins Gold's Fruitful Journeys: The Ways of Rajasthani Pilgrims (Berkeley, 1988), and William Sturman Sax's Mountain Goddess (New York, 1991) as one of very few detailed, firsthand, first-rate scholarly account of Hindu pilgrimage."--Journal of Religion

"A remarkably rich study--moving from legend through geographical information and religious theory to the sweaty realism of pilgrimage. I particularly appreciated having the Krishna stories generally in association with the traditional sites--as a pilgrim would be hearing them. Setting and journey are quite effectively described."--Kenneth B. Welliver, West Virginia Wesleyan College

"Enchantingly written. Haberman makes pilgrimage come alive--maybe because he himself lived it. It's really fun to read, and would go very well with slides of Krishna miniatures."--F.W. Blackwell, Washington State University

"A delightful reading for layman and scholar alike. Very informative and clearly written."--Laxmi G. Tewari, Sonoma State University

"A splendid rendering of pilgrimage and the devotional motive. A better Krishna emerges through his accounting. Jai Radha, jai Krishna!"--Joanna Kirkpatrick, Bennington College

"Beautifully written, Highly evocative, and very attractive to student readers."--Gene R. Thursby, University of Florida

"[David Haberman] has become well-known as a knowledgeable and thorough scholar of Vaisnavism...[This work] is a pleasure to read and to recommend to everyone interested in not only the religion of Braj but of religion and its study in the broader context."--Journal of Vaisnava Studies

About the Author

David L. Haberman is at Indiana University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 272 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (April 28, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195084799
• ISBN-13: 978-0195084795
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #291,303 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book about the land of Vraja, March 23, 2008

By 

James R. Schwartz (Michigan City, Indiana) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

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This review is from: Journey through the Twelve Forests: An Encounter with Krishna (Paperback)

Braj (also known as "Vraja") is a region in Uttar Pradesh of India surrounding the city of Mathura, and is considered to be the land of Krishna. This book deals with the author's participation in the Ban-Yatra, a two-hundred mile, barefoot, 22-day pilgrimage around Braj during the rainy season.

This book is very readable, utterly convivial and thoroughly enjoyable: part travel guide, part history book, and part religious textbook.

The book was written by David L. Haberman, the Associate Professor of Religious Studies at Indiana University. His writing seems even-handed and scholarly. I assume he is just a mundane researcher and not a Vaishnava (follower of Krishna); but still, in Chapter Five, he reports his astonishing and wonderful vision on the banks of the pond known as Prema Sarovara ("Pond of Divine Love"). The vision left him "shaken", as he puts it... and reading it had the same effect on me.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Must Read for Anyone interested in Pilgrimages, December 10, 2010

By 

R. Batta - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Journey through the Twelve Forests: An Encounter with Krishna (Paperback)

This book effectively explores the Ban Yatra, a sacred pilgrimage undertaken by Vaishnavas/Krishnaites, and sufficiently uses secondary information to provide the history of the pilgrimage and the modern trends that have emerged. It's a comfortable read about Haberman's personal account of the Yatra and at the same time an academic work that tackles ethnographic, historical, religious issues and customs of Braj. Highly recommend this book to those that want to understand the nature of Bhakti around Krishna and other aspects of Pilgrimages/Yatras in Hindu religious traditions.