Vol. 4, Issue 1, Part A (2022)

Kashmir has been associated with Hinduism since the hoary past. And ever since it has been associated with worship of Vishnu and his Krishna avatar. Kashmiri Bhakti poetry also has Shiva, Rama and Krishna as it basis. Bhakti during 18th and 19th centuries saw the emergence of Lila kavya. Two important proponents of Lila kavyas were Kavi Parmanand and Krishna Joo Razdan. Their works delve upon ancient Hindu concepts, Puranic literature, and mixing of jnana and bhakti marg all the while interspersing their narratives with local customs and traditions. Their work on Krishna and His life is of immense importance if the nature of Bhakti in Kashmir during the 18th and 19th centuries is to be understood holistically.