The Chandogya Upanishad (dated to atleast 7th century BCE), has the earliest reference. It refers to Devakiputra Krishna as a disciple of Ghora Angirasa.

Krishna & Angirasa are referred as Surya worshippers. Angirasa was associated with the Bhojas, related to Krishna’s clan. They practice “tapodanam, arjjvam, ahimsa, satyam.” This is similar to what the Mahabharata says.

The Chandogya calls Krishna ‘Achyuta’, a popular name of Krishna. Scholars concluded that the Krishna of the Chandogya is the same as the Krishna of Mahabharata. Another early reference is by the grammarian Panini (6th cent BCE) who calls his followers ‘Vasudevakas’ and ‘Arjunakas’, after Krishna’s chief disciple Arjuna. The linguist Yaska (5th cent BCE) also mentions ‘Akrura’ who appears in the stories of Krishna’s fight with Kansa.

Source: Professor Meenakshi Jain. “Vasudeva Krishna and Mathura.”

Balarama is Krishna’s brother. He holds a plough, likes Duryodhana and remains neutral in the Bharata war.

Heroes from the Yadava/ Vrishni clan of Krishna were also deified. Balarama was called ‘Haladar’ or ‘Samkarsna’ and was associated with farming and was popular. Krishna was worshipped in a triad with his brother Balarama and sister Ekanamsa. He was also worshipped as Panchvira (5 heroes) with his brother Balarama, sons Pradyumna & Samba and grandson Aniruddh. These were considered emanations of Vasudeva. This practice gradually got assimilated with the Vedic Vishnu, who was one of the 12 forms of Sun in the Vedas.

The Wikimedia image is that of Balarama from Rajbari, West Bengal.

Source: Professor Meenakshi Jain. “Vasudeva Krishna and Mathura.”

Picture Credit: Wikimedia

Megasthenes was the ambassador of Seleucus, Alexander, successor. He stayed at the court of Chandragupta Maurya at Pataliputra (Patna). He wrote, “The Herakles is held in special honour by the Sourasenoi who possess two large cities, Methora and Cleisobara and through whose country flows the river Iobares.”

The Greeks called Krishna Herakles, after their own hero Hercules. The Surasena were a tribe associated with Yadavas. Methora, Cleisobara and Iobares have been identified as Mathura, Gokul and Yamuna.

Source: Professor Meenakshi Jain. “Vasudeva Krishna and Mathura.”

Picture Credit: Amar Chitra Katha

Roman historian, Quintus Curtius, in his “Histories of Alexander the Great,” recorded a report of one of the companions of Alexander. The army of Porus carried an image of ‘Hercules’ as he advanced on the Vitasta (Jhelum) river.

Greeks & Romans likened Krishna to their own hero Hercules. He wrote about the image, “To desert the bearers of this image was reckoned a disgraceful military offence and they even ordained death as a penalty of those who failed to bring it back from the battlefield.”

The Wikimedia image is of Alexander meeting Porus from Muller Baden, Germany.

Source: Professor Meenakshi Jain. “Vasudeva Krishna and Mathura.”

Picture Credit: Wikimedia

Heliodorus describes himself as a Bhagvata – worshipper of Vasudeva and that he set up the pillar in his honor. The pillar is dated to 150-100BCE. Nearby the remains of an ancient temple dated to 3rd cent BCE have been found. The pillar stands in Besnagar, near Vidisha in Madhya Pradesh. Heliodorus came to the court of the Sunga governor of the region.

Source: Professor Meenakshi Jain. “Vasudeva Krishna and Mathura.”

Picture Credit: Wikimedia

Satavahanas or Andhras created the first empire in the Deccan. The empire covered areas of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra, Telengana & Karnataka between the 2nd cent BCE to 2nd cent CE. Their victory over the foreign origin Sakas is believed to be commemorated as the start of Saka era in 78CE. The Indian national calendar adopted in 1957, uses this era.

The Nanaghat inscriptions in the Western Ghats are described as, “the oldest historical documents of Western India, more important than all other cave inscriptions taken together.” They are attributed to Queen Naganika, the Naga wife of Satkarni I and dated between 200-150 BCE. The inscriptions have an invocation to Krishna, “Adoration to the two descendants of the moon, Samkarsana & Vasudeva, who are endowed with majesty.”

The Wikimedia image is of Satvahana coins in the family name of Satkarni.

Source: Professor Meenakshi Jain. “Vasudeva Krishna and Mathura.”

Picture Credit: Wikimedia

These rock carvings are at Chilas in Kashmir. They are along a major trade route in the Gilgit valley. The carvings depict a pair of figures, holding what seem to be a plough and a disc, wearing wide open coats similar to that of the Kushana period (2nd-3rd cent CE). They are identified as Balarama and Krishna based on the Khartoshti inscriptions found in the area. Coins of 2nd Century BCE depicting Balarama and Krishna have also been found in Al-Khanoum in Afghanistan.

Source: Upinder Singh. “A History of Medieval India from the Stone Age to the 12th Century.”

Picture Credit: Wikimedia

Azhwars catalysed the Bhakti form of worship, a passionate and total surrender. They made Vaishnavism popular in South India. Andal is the only female saint among the 12 Azhwars. Her father found her in a Tulsi garden and brought her up. As a child, Azhwar felt deep love and affection for Krishna and would imagine her to be Krishna’s bride. She adorned herself with the garlands that her father had prepared for the Lord. When her father scolded about it, Lord Ranganatha appeared in his dreams and insisted that he will only wear garlands worn by Andal. She is believed to have merged with Lord Ranganatha in Srirangam in Tamil Nadu.

She is the most loved of Tamil saint poets. She composed Thiruppavai, an extraordinarily beautiful Tamil poem of 30 verses. In this poem Andal imagines herself to be a cowherd girl during the incarnation of Lord Krishna. She yearns to serve Him and achieve happiness not just in this birth, but for all eternity. Thiruppavai is sung in all Sri Vaishnava temples and Andal finds a place in all Sri Vaishnava temples.

Ecstatic Krishna bhakti was later spread by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in the East India, Mirabai in the North and by the Varkari/Pandharpur tradition of Maharashtra.

Source: ramanuja.org

Prof. S. R. Rao conducted offshore marine excavations in Dwarka. His findings matched the description given in Mahabharata about Dwaraka. He found evidence for a port city with active sea trade.

The layout of the submerged city, high fort walls and stone bases of flag posts correlate with the description of Dwarka in Mahabharata. Pottery found in the submerged city matches with 15th century BCE pottery culture. Seals were found (dated to 15th/ 16th century BCE) which correspond with the statement in Harivamsa that all residents of Dwaraka were required to carry a mudra.

He found that bastions and protection walls were built on boulder foundation. This technique is used even now for building on reclaimed land. The evidence of reclamation matches the description in Harivamsa that 12 yojanas of land was reclaimed to build Dwarka.

His excavations pushed the dating of Mahabharata earlier by about 5 centuries compared to the excavations of Prof B.B. Lal in Hastinapur.

Source: Further Excavations of the Submerged City of Dwaraka. Prof S. R Rao

Picture Credit: Lost City of Dwaraka. Prof S. R Rao

ISKCON movement is another step in the evolution of Krishna worship. The movement has drawn people across the world towards Krishna Bhakti. ISKCON was founded by Swami Prabhupāda in New York City in 1966 and has rapidly grown in over 500 centres across the world. ISKCON celebrates the legacy of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Mayapur, on the banks of Ganga, is close to Kolkata and is the birthplace of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

The Chandrodaya Mandir or the Temple of the Vedic Planetarium will open its first phase in 2024. Alfred Ford, now known as Ambarisa Das is the largest donor and is the Chairperson of the project.

The Vedic Planetarium in the temple will take visitors through the various regions of the cosmic creation. It features a giant rotating model that would present the movements of the planetary systems as described in sacred texts such as the Srimad Bhagavatam. When completed it may be the second largest religious structure and the world’s largest temple.

It looks like Capitol Hill, because it is modelled on it, as per the wishes of Swami Prabhupāda.

Source: tovp.org, mayapur.com

Picture Credit: tovp.org