love. They reconcile and make passion-
ate love. The text ends by describing
their love play in the afterglow, in which
Radha orders Krishna to ornament her
as she wishes, showing her complete
power over him.
As a text, the Gitagovindacan be read
on many different levels simultaneously.
The themes of love, betrayal, and recon-
ciliation speak easily to everyday human
experience, but the theological and
mystical levels are always present. In the
end, deity and devotee (bhakta) are
described as needing and loving
one another. Neither is complete with-
out the other. Radha’s demand for exclu-
sive love is at first denied, but in the end
her persistence and conviction are
rewarded. The Gitagovinda has been
masterfully translated by the late
Barbara Stoller Miller as The Love Song
of the Dark Lord, 1977.
Goa
One of the smallest states in modern
India. It lies between the states of
Maharashtra and Karnatakaon the
shore of the Arabian Sea. Goa was a
Portuguese colony for more than 400
years and did not become a part of the
Indian union until 1961, when India
engineered a nearly bloodless takeover.
Goa still retains much of its Portuguese
influence—in its food, easygoing pace,
and the continuing presence of Roman
Catholicism—which makes it one of the
most unusual cultural areas in India. For
general information about Goa and all
the regions of India, an accessible refer-
ence is Christine Nivin et al., India. 8th
ed., Lonely Planet, 1998.
Gobind Deo Mandir
A temple built in 1590 in Brindavan, the
town believed to be the god Krishna’s
childhood home. The temple is dedicated
to Krishnain his form as the “Divine
Cowherd.” From an architectural per-
spective, the temple is unique for its
vaulted ceiling, which is seldom found
in Hindu temples. The temple’s interior
and exterior are also notable for their
almost complete lack of figural orna-
mentation, which is extremely unusual.
The temple is close to the major road
connecting Agra and Delhi. These are
the two major political centers of the
Moghul empire (1525–1707), whose
rulers were Muslims. Since many ortho-
dox Muslims believe that figural repre-
sentations are idolatrous, particularly in
places of worship, the temple’s austere
style may have been an attempt to avoid
inciting Muslim iconoclasm. There is
evidence of conflict between Hindus
and Muslims at this site since the few
figures inside the temple, carved into
the lintels of door and windows, have
had their heads broken off. See also
Moghul dynasty.Godana
(“gift of a cow”) In Hindu religious prac-
tice, gift giving (dana) is common and
believed to be a pious act that generates
religious merit. Godana is the gift of a
cow, usually to a brahmin. Traditional
religious texts highly laud the gift of
a cow, both as a charitable act and as
a way to expiate one’s sins. However,
since many of these texts were written
by brahmins, one can detect a hint
of self-interest.Godavari
River running from west to east in cen-
tral India. The Godavari’s headwaters lie
in the state of Maharashtra on the
inland side of the western Ghats. It
meanders through that state to Andhra
Pradesh, where it enters the Bay of
Bengal. The Godarvi is traditionally
considered one of India’s seven sacred
rivers, along with the Ganges, Yamuna,
Cauvery, Saraswati, Narmada, and
Indus. The Godavari has special status
in central India, where it is often referred
to as the “Ganges”—the most sacred
river for Hindus. Although its entire
length is considered sacred, the
Godavari’s most important religious
sites are all in the west: Nasik,Goa