Krishna and Radha

Krishna, shown below with his beloved Radha, is an incarnation of the god Vishnu. He is worshiped by more Hindus than any other of Vishnu's many forms. Krishna was born human, and the stories of his childhood and adolescence exemplify his mischievous character. One story often illustrated by artists describes how, as an infant, he crawled away from his mother to steal butter. Other images depict Krishna dancing on the snake Kaliya. This refers to a famous legend in which the hero-god conquered a demon serpent. Images of the youthful Krishna playing his flute are also popular. Later, as the wise hero of the ancient epic the Mahabharata, he established the fundamental principles of practical Hinduism.

(left) A contemporary Indian poster of Krishna and Radha

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