Radha's Pilgrimage & other Krishna Stories

The beauty of myths is that they are ageless and timeless. The essence they shelter and embody in the fold of their words runs deep and touches the narrator and the reader in most profound ways. The short stories in this book are inspired by the love of Krishna, a boy who loves to steal butter—and our hearts; a lover who entices and ensnares us with his enchanted flute and his mischief; a mentor and compassionate companion who walks with us and guides our steps with his timeless wisdom, even when we have given up; a god who accepts one and all – the villain and the hero, the coward and the brave, the fallen and the mighty, and the naysayer and the believer – and binds us forever with his universal love.

Some of the stories unfold in the present day with characters we can all relate to: Kanha, an errant boy who is sent away to boarding school; Veer, a modern-day thief who is lured by a storyteller’s description of Krishna’s jewels, but dissolves in tears and devotion when he sees the cowherd; Leelavati, a dancer who escapes her evil captors with the help of Damu, the cook-turned-collaborator only to realise that it was he, none other than Damodar, who had been helping her all this while and was her true rescuer. The author skilfully and seamlessly slips the many characters, including those from other religions and faiths, into her tales and breathes new life into stories and myths we might have heard from our grandparents.

The author also brings to life the towns of Brindavan and Mathura with vivid descriptions, weaving in and recreating beautiful anecdotes and adventures of Krishna, Radha, the gopis and other playmates through stories such as “Radha’s Pilgrimage”, “Radha and the Birds”, “Who is the Luckiest?” and “Radha out-pranks Krishna”.

Through a delightful mix of storytelling, interpreting, explaining, teaching and translating shlokas and verses from the Gita, the author both entertains and educates the reader. The book is further enriched by evocative and intricately detailed illustrations by Ritam Upadhyay. If you are a lover of Krishna this book is a must-read and if you are not, you will fall in love with him when you read it.

—Meera Guthi

Meera is an alumna of SAICE. She has published stories for children and adults as well as journalistic features in various newspapers and magazines. She currently teaches at SAICE, helping students discover the wonder of the written word by exploring literature and honing their own skills as writers.

Reviewed in August 2021