ABSTRACT
Mathura town lies in the so-called Braj area of western Uttar Pradesh. This area is well known as the mythical homeland of the god Krishna, who is also the main patron caste deity of the Yadav community. Krishna is one of the most celebrated deities in the Hindu pantheon and one of the most popular heroes of Hindu mythology. In the process of Yadavisation, Krishna is not only an ‘ethnic’ unifying symbol and a ‘community deity’ but the god/ancestor also retains his legitimacy as a vehicle of traditional upward mobility. As a consequence, traditional processes of Sanskritisation are not disjoined from the constitution of a separate collective identity. The adoption of Krishna as a common ancestor has been accompanied by a redefinition of the deity as a masculine, martial, social justice ruler and democratic politician. The shift from Yadav to Krishna in Yadav caste vocabulary is a very widespread phenomenon.
