Life and Conditions of the People of Hindustan (1200–1550 A.D.) c7.s3.t3.16

c7.s3.t3.16

Among the festivals of social importance are chiefly those which celebrate the births of Rama, Krishna, Parasurama, and Narasingha. Krishna was the most popular of all the gods during our period and his cult was fast spreading. At Puri, Lord Jagannatha was brought out in his car with great pageantry at various times in the year. People behaved towards this idol of Krishna exactly as they would to a living god. He embodied all the purest and the finest emotions of the popular mind. In the land of *Braj* (round about Muttra in the United Provinces) where the god was born and played with his mates and milkmaids, every incident of his life was celebrated with intense devotion. We shall refer later to *Krishna-lilas*.¹