A 19th century pichhwai of the Pushtimarg Vraj Parikrama
Vraja Mandal Parikrama, also calledVrajaYatra (Vraja pilgrimage), is aVaishnavaHindupilgrimage dedicated toKrishna. Different sects follow different itineraries, there being separate routes forGaudiya Vaishnavism, thePushtimarga Sampradaya, the Gore Dauji temple ofVrindavan (Ramanandi), andNimbarka Sampradaya.[1] Currently, this Parikrama is conducted under the leadership ofRasbiharidas Kathiababa, the 57th Acharya of the All India Vaishnava Chaturthi community, under the leadership of the Nimbarka Sampradaya.
Braj Yatra circuit of pilgrimage was formally established by the 16th centurysadhus ofvaishnava sampradaya with fixed routes, itinerary, and rituals. The circuit covers is spread across 2500 km2 area with 84kos or 300 km long periphery extending 10 km to east and 50 km to north and west. Braj has two main types of pilgrimage circuits, the traditional longerBraj Yatra encompassing the whole circuit, and the other shorter significantly modified contemporary point-to-point pilgrimage to visit the main sites at Mathura, Vrindavan,Gokul,Govardhan. The former, longer traditional pilgrimage route, also includes additional sacred sitesNandgaon andBarsana with travel on foot.[2]
