Presentation short abstract

For the Pushtimarg (Path of Grace) soil is alive through the divine presence of Krishna. Paying attention to soil's vitality through the nonhuman divine offers new perspectives on soil's cosmological and physical aliveness

Presentation long abstract

For members of the Pushtimarg (Path of Grace) the soil in Braj, India is alive. It is animated by the divine presence of the god Krishna in constant play (lila). This paper suggests that paying attention to divine animacy in soil relations offers the means to explore vitality in soil in new ways, with potentially positive environmental impacts. The human experience of the non-human divine soil is visceral through the senses. Daily, devotees consume soil (charnamrut) before their worship (seva) to purify their bodies and this soil biomorally transforms devotees’ minds. The ways in which the Pushtimarg interact with soil imbues it with new interpretations and meanings that do not connote membership of a nation state or national belonging (Malkki 1992).

Yet, in Braj the landscape is changing with rapid local area's development and increased pollution. Soil as wild and alive is contrasted with the domestication and ‘beautification’ projects that are underway. However, theologically, some devotees see the sacred landscape as self-purifying because of its divine animacy. Others engage in active campaigns to protect the landscape. While soil has largely been underexplored in religious terms apart from national belonging, paying attention to religious and spiritual relations with soil is essential for broadening our perspectives on soil’s cosmological and physical aliveness. These perspectives offer new pathways to generate change in maintaining the ecological balance of this sacred landscape and beyond.