CHENNAI: When the Persians and Mughals continued annexing territories across the Indian mainland in the 16th century, a silent revolution began in a nondescript town in Rajasthan. Understanding the difficulty of conducting full-fledged worships openly under the threat posed by the invaders, and the risk involved in leaving the family behind for penance, it is said that Vallabacharya, who propounded the Shudadvaita (pure-non dualism) philosophy, devised a simple form of bhakti that laid the emphasis on service to Lord Krishna in the form of a child.The Vallabacharya Vidhya Sabha stall put up at the Hindu Spiritual and Service Fair, being held at the DG Vaishnav College, explains with clarity the various facets of this form of bhakti, popularly known as ‘Pusti Maargam’.P Haridass, secretary of the college and the main organiser behind the stall, says that the idea of treating the Lord as a child was an easy way to inculcate attachment towards Krishna, considered the Supreme Being in the Shudadvaita tradition.“If there is a child in the family, do we not pamper it with love and affection? This is the same concept applied to the Lord as well,” he says. Significantly, Pusti Maargam, rather than putting the onus on the male of the family to conduct the rituals, encourages participation of the whole family. Women play a significant role in this form of worship, decorating the deity with intricately designed dresses and jewels and putting up pandals in which the Lord is seated during the service.“The pandals differ with the season. Just like how we provide different dresses to the child in the family according to the weather, the deity is also decorated with different materials based on the season,” says Haridass, adding that most of such work is done by women.Also, unlike temples where the darshan happens all though the day, service in the Pushti Maargam is done for a limited time in a day, given the fact that the Lord is worshiped in the form of a child, who would require rest.Visitors to the stall had the chance to have a look at all the forms of decorations, such as palna, khus bungalow and hindola. Pamphlets elaborating the life and philosophy of Vallabacharya were also distributed. However, the highlight of the stall is the pichwai paintings that depict the tales associated with Krishna as a child and youth. The painting are sourced from Nathdwara in Rajasthan, the most significant place for the followers of Vallabacharya.
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