ABSTRACT
The chapter includes an excerpt from Indira Goswami’s Neelakanthi Braja translated by Gayatri Bhattacharyya from the original Assamese as In the Shadow of the Divine Flute Player. An inquisitive Saudamini after arriving in Vrindaban intends to understand the condition of the widows, the Radheshyamis. She is seen climbing down the broken and faded old step to reach a spot near the old unused well, the top of which was covered with a few moss-grown wooden planks. Next to it were some small and dark, dilapidated rooms, that looked more like pigeon holes than human habitations. A large group of widowed Radheshyamis dwelt there. They were grossly undernourished, wore dirty and faded old dhotis, their skin covered with wounds due to leprosy. Seeing Saudamini, the old women came out of their pigeon holes, surrounded her, and started touching her body, thus making her very uncomfortable. The abominable existence of the Radheshyamis shocked Saudamini to the core.
