2024 Uruguayan Segunda División season

# 2024 Uruguayan Segunda División season

## Abstract

The 2024 Uruguayan Segunda División season is the 117th season of the Uruguayan Segunda División, the second division championship of football in Uruguay. The season, named "100 Años del Club Oriental ", started on 16 March and is scheduled to end in December 2024. A total of 14 teams compete in the season; the top two teams and the winner of the promotion play-offs will be promoted to the Uruguayan Primera División. The fixture draw for the season was held on 2 March 2024.

## Teams

Fourteen teams take part in the season, nine of them returning from the previous edition. Montevideo City Torque, La Luz, and Plaza Colonia, relegated from Primera División, replaced the promoted sides Miramar Misiones, Progreso, and Rampla Juniors, while the 2023 Primera División Amateur champions Colón and runners-up Cooper replaced Bella Vista and Potencia, both relegated to the third tier in the previous season.

## Torneo Competencia

The Torneo Competencia, named "Héctor Peri", was the first stage of the tournament. The 14 participating teams were divided into two groups of seven where they played each one of the teams in their group under a single round-robin format. The winners of each group advanced to the final, with the winner being assured of a berth into the promotion play-offs. Originally, the participating clubs had decided not to hold the Torneo Competencia in this season, however it was eventually reinstated after a vote prior to the start of the season.

### Serie A

### Serie B

### Final

## Regular stage

In the regular stage, the 14 teams will play each other twice under a double round-robin format for a total of 26 matches. Teams carried over their Torneo Competencia performances to this stage. The top two teams at the end of the regular stage will be promoted to the Uruguayan Primera División, while the teams placing from third to sixth place will advance to the promotion play-offs.

### Standings

### Results

## Promotion play-offs


Roger Horn

# Roger Horn

## Abstract

Roger Alan Horn (born January 19, 1942) is an American mathematician specializing in matrix analysis. He was research professor of mathematics at the University of Utah. He is known for formulating the Bateman–Horn conjecture with Paul T. Bateman on the density of prime number values generated by systems of polynomials. His books Matrix Analysis and Topics in Matrix Analysis, co-written with Charles R. Johnson, are standard texts in advanced linear algebra.

## Career

Roger Horn graduated from Cornell University with high honors in mathematics in 1963, after which he completed his PhD at Stanford University in 1967. Horn was the founder and chair of the Department of Mathematical Sciences at Johns Hopkins University from 1972 to 1979. As chair, he held a series of short courses for a monograph series published by the Johns Hopkins Press. He invited Gene Golub and Charles Van Loan to write a monograph, which later became the seminal Matrix Computations text book. He later joined the Department of Mathematics at the University of Utah as research professor. In 2007, the journal Linear Algebra and its Applications published a special issue in honor of Roger Horn. He was Editor of The American Mathematical Monthly during 1997–2001.

## Personal life

In 1987, Horn submitted testimony to the US Senate Subcommittee on Transportation regarding the 1987 Maryland train collision which killed his 16-year-old daughter Ceres who was returning to Princeton University from the family home in Baltimore for her freshman year fall term final exams.


1853 in Germany

# 1853 in Germany

## Abstract

Events from the year 1853 in Germany.

## Incumbents

- King of Bavaria – Maximilian II

- King of Hanover – George V

- King of Prussia – Frederick William IV

- King of Saxony – Frederick Augustus II

## Events

- 20 July – The Jade Treaty is signed between Prussia and Oldenburg. Prussia is ceded territory which allows it to construct a major naval base at Wilhelmshaven

- 25 October – Neue Pinakothek in Munich opened.

## Births

- 1 January – Karl von Einem, German general, Prussian Minister of War (died 1934)

- 9 January – Henning von Holtzendorff, German admiral (died 1919)

- 10 January – John Martin Schaeberle, German/American astronomer (died 1924)

- 14 March – Max Saenger, German obstetrician and gynecologist (died 1903)

- 4 July – Ernst Otto Beckmann, German chemist (died 1923)

- 12 July - Carl Schotten, German chemist (died 1910)

- 26 July - Martin Segitz, German politician (died 1927)

- 2 September – Wilhelm Ostwald, German chemist (died 1932)

- 20 September – Joseph Kürschner, German editor and publisher (died 1902)

- 23 September – Fritz von Below, German general (died 1918)

- 16 September – Albrecht Kossel, German physician, recipient of the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine (died 1927)

- 22 November – Clemens von Ketteler, German diplomat killed during the Boxer Rebellion (died 1900)

### Full date unknown

- Otto Wissig, Protestant German parson and author (died 1933)

## Deaths

- 19 January – Karl Faber, German historian (born 1773)

- 15 February – August, Prince of Hohenlohe-Öhringen, German general (born 1784)

- 28 April – Ludwig Tieck, German writer (born 1773)

- 15 December – Georg Friedrich Grotefend, German epigraphist and philologist (born 1775)

- Undated – Meta Forkel-Liebeskind, German writer and scholar (born 1765)


Oksana Boturchuk

# Oksana Boturchuk

## Abstract

Oksana Boturchuk (Ukrainian: Оксана Ботурчук) (born 12 September 1984) is a Paralympic athlete from Ukraine competing mainly in category T12 sprint events.

## Early life

Boturchuk hails from the Dnipropetrovsk region in Ukraine. She was born into a family of athletes, her father was a Master of Sports of the USSR in Sambo, whiles her mother was a candidate for Master of Sports in athletics. She experienced vision loss after an auto accident.

## Career

### Athletic career

She competed in the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China. There she won a gold medal in the women's 100 metres - T12 event, a silver medal in the women's 200 metres - T12 event, a silver medal in the women's 400 metres - T12 event and finished eighth in the women's Long jump - F12 event.

At the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo, Japan, she won three silver medals.

In August 2021, a movie about her life titled Puls was released.

In September 2024, she won a silver medal in the women's 100m—T12 final in the Paralympic Games in Paris with a time of 12.70s. She and her guide Mykyta Barabanov also won a bronze medal in the 400 meters dash.

### Education

As at 2024, Boturchuk is a lecturer at the Department of Special Physical Training at DSUIA.

## Personal life

Boturchuk is married and has three children.

## Awards

Boturchuk has state awards which include the Order of Merit (I, II, and III degrees).


Trine Dyrholm

# Trine Dyrholm

## Abstract

Trine Dyrholm (Danish:; born 15 April 1972) is a Danish actress, singer and songwriter. Dyrholm received national recognition when she placed third in the Dansk Melodi Grand Prix as a 14-year-old singer. Four years later, she again achieved national recognition when she won the Bodil Award for Best Actress in her debut film: the teenage romance Springflod. Dyrholm has won the Bodil Award for Best Actress five times and a Bodil award for Best Supporting Actress twice as well as six Robert Awards in her acting career.

## Career

When Dyrholm was eight years old, she began performing with the Odense orchestra. At the age of 10, she performed in Et juleeventyr (A Christmas Carol) at the Odense Teater and in summer stock in Den Fynske Landsby. In 1987, at 14 years old, Dyrholm made her breakthrough as the lead singer in Trine & The Moonlighters when the group placed third in the Danish Melodi Grand Prix with the song Danse i måneskin (Dancing in Moonlight). After her Grand Prix success, Dyrholm recorded a CD of her own songs.

Dyrholm attended the Statens Teaterskole (Danish National School of Theatre) from 1991 to 1995. In 1995, she debuted in En skærsommernatsdrøm at Grønnegårds Teatret. Dyrholm earned national recognition with her screen debut in the 1990 teenage romance Springflod for which she received the 1991 Bodil Award for Best Actress. That same year, she earned glowing reviews for her role in the TV production of Hosekrammeren. Thereafter she appeared in Morten Lorentzen's films Casanova (1990) and Cecilie (1991), and then Thomas Vinterberg 's De største helte (The Greatest Heroes) in 1996. In 1998, Dyrholm played the role of the hotel maid in the first Dogme 95 film, Festen (The Celebration).

In 2004, Dyrholm played the role of Kate in Kim Fupz Aakeson 's drama Forbrydelser (International title: In Your Hands) for which she won both the Bodil Award and the Robert Award. In 2005, Dyrholm again received the Bodil for her leading role in the thriller Fluerne på væggen (Flies on the Wall). The following year, Dyrholm again won both the Bodil and Robert awards for the quirky satire En Soap. In 2007, Trine Dyrholm was again nominated for both the Bodil and Robert awards for her supporting role in Simon Staho 's film Daisy Diamond.

She sang songs for the comedy show "Mr. Nice Guy". Three songs from "Mr. Nice Guy" with lyrics by Peter Lund Madsen and Anders Lund Madsen and music by Kim Larsen were released as an EP entitled Mr. Nice Guy. The EP has been number one on the Danish music charts for a total of 62 weeks. It stayed in the Top 20 from 17 December 2004 until 2 November 2007, more than 136 weeks on the charts.

In 2011, Dyrholm won the Bodil Award for Best Actress for her performance in the thriller Hævnen which received the Best Foreign Language Film at the 83rd Academy Awards.

In 2014 she was selected as a member of the jury for the 64th Berlin International Film Festival.

She has appeared in both series of Arvingerne (The Legacy), in which she plays the character of Gro Grønnegaard. In 2015, Dyrholm won the Robert Award for Best Actress in a Leading Television Role for her performance in that series.

## Filmography

## Discography

- 1987: Danse i Måneskin, Eldorado Records

- 1988: Blå & Hvide Striber, (with Rock-Nalle), Banzai Records

- 1988: Et Frossent Ojeblik, It's Magic

- 2004: Mr. Nice Guy

- 2005: Den Store Day


Glen Eden railway station

# Glen Eden railway station

## Abstract

Glen Eden railway station is located on the Western Line of the AT Metro rail network in Auckland, New Zealand. The station house is a local historical landmark that was restored in 2001. A cafe is located in the old station building.

## History

The station was opened on 29 March 1880 as one of the original stations on the North Auckland Line. The station's location determined the placement of the nearby Waikumete Cemetery. Special trains ran from Auckland on Sundays carrying the deceased and their entourage, and a dedicated platform was constructed to serve these trains. This unique function is one of the reasons that the station is registered by Heritage New Zealand as a Category II heritage building. The station was added to the heritage register on 30 October 1998, with register number 7435.

The train station was the centre of the Glen Eden community during the turn of the century, with most stores and services located adjacent to the station. The station habitually dealt with scrub fires, caused due to sparks from the locomotive engines and the adjacent Archibald's Sawmill. The Waikumete Cemetery was opened in 1886, due to its proximity to the train station. The station became a transportation hub for Waitākere Ranges holidaymakers, who would take coaches from the train station to holiday at guest houses located in places such as Waiatarua, Karekare and Piha.

## Services

Bus routes 152, 154 and 172 pass by the station on the adjacent West Coast Road.


Party of the Democratic Revolution

# Party of the Democratic Revolution

## Abstract

The Party of the Democratic Revolution (PRD, Spanish: Partido de la Revolución Democrática, pronounced) i s a state-level social democratic political party in Mexico (previously national, until 2024). The PRD originated from the Democratic Current, a political faction formed in 1986 from the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI). The PRD was formed after the contested general election in 1988, which the PRD's immediate predecessor, the National Democratic Front, believed was rigged by the PRI. This sparked a movement away from the PRI's authoritarian rule.

As of 2023, the PRD was a member of the Fuerza y Corazón por México (Strength and Heart for Mexico) coalition. Internationally, the PRD was a member of the Progressive Alliance. The members of the party are known colloquially in Mexico as Perredistas. In 2024, the party failed to reach the necessary percentage of votes to keep its registration as a national political party.

## History

### Early origins

#### Break from the PRI (1986–1988)

The PRD had its origins with the leftist members of the PRI, Institutional Revolutionary Party. The PRI had dominated Mexican politics since its founding in 1929. In 1986, a group of PRI members – including Ifigenia Martínez, Rodolfo González Guevara, Porfirio Muñoz Ledo, and Cuauhtémoc Cárdenas – formed the Democratic Current, a political faction within the PRI.

The Democratic Current aimed to pressure the PRI to become a more democratic party and to address the issue of national debt including the social effects of the economic crisis that came from attempting to pay that debt. The Democratic Current was also against technocratization, in which the people in power had not held public office and were scholars that were often educated abroad. Under the Miguel de la Madrid presidency which lasted from 1982 – 1988, the PRI and Mexico were moving towards a technocracy especially since de la Madrid was a technocrat himself. The Democratic Current did not have many technocrats and was thus left out of the decision-making process. This political marginalization led the Democratic Current members to be more vocal about their concerns because they did not have a position of power to protect within the PRI.

After public criticisms and debate between the Democratic Current and the PRI, ten Democratic Current members signed Working Document Number One which was the official beginning of the Democratic Current. However, the PRI refused to acknowledge the Democratic Current as an organization unless they joined a union, which was allowed in the PRI. The forming of a group that was not united because of work but because of difference in ideology within the PRI caused fear of division within the party.

Once de la Madrid 's six-year term as president was coming to a close, the PRI chose six possible candidates for president and notably did not choose Cárdenas. The PRI had no process to apply as candidate so Cárdenas could not run as a candidate for president. On 4 October 1987, Carlos Salinas de Gortari was ultimately chosen as the PRI candidate. Gortari did not embody anything that the Democratic Current wanted and many of the Democratic Current members left the PRI including Cárdenas during November 1987. Some Democratic Current members went on to support Cárdenas in his 1988 quest for presidency and help in the founding of the PRD.

#### 1988 presidential election

On 12 October 1987, Cárdenas became the Authentic Party of the Mexican Revolution 's presidential candidate. Cárdenas still remained an independent candidate due to electoral laws which meant that many parties could choose Cárdenas as their candidate. The groups of the independent left that supported Cárdenas were the Mexican Socialist Party which included the Unified Socialist Party of Mexico, the Mexican Workers' Party, the Patriotic Revolutionary Party, the Communist Left Unity, and the People's Revolutionary Movement. The parastatal groups, state-owned enterprises that are separate from government, that supported Cárdenas were the Authentic Party of the Mexican Revolution, Popular Socialist Party, and the Party of the Cardenist Front of National Reconstruction, which made up the National Democratic Front. Other groups that supported Cárdenas were the Social Democratic Party, Ecologist Green Party of Mexico, Democratic Unity, Movement for Socialism, Critical Point Revolutionary Organization, and Neighborhood Assembly In order to provide a mechanism to coordinate and communicate with one another about campaign activities, these groups formed a coordinating body named the National Democratic Front (Mexico). The Mexican Socialist Party did not join in an official capacity, rather the party signed a separate pact with the Democratic Current.

In the 1988 presidential election, Cárdenas had come closer than any other political candidate to winning against the PRI, which had been in power since 1929. The victory of the PRI's candidate, Carlos Salinas de Gortari, was largely considered guilty of electoral fraud in 1988; this was after the computers tabulating votes had reportedly crashed. As a result, Cárdenas claimed that he had won the election, although he never declared himself president. The National Democratic Front continued to support Cárdenas by signing a Declaration for the Defense of Popular Sovereignty. Protests erupted in support of Cárdenas, the largest of which occurred on 16 July and had an attendance of at least 300,000 people. Nonetheless, the election was ratified. Years later, it was determined that there was indeed electoral fraud in the election.

### Founding

The 1988 election sparked a movement against the authoritarian rule of the PRI. As an integral part of the movement towards democracy, the Party of the Democratic Revolution was formed as Mexico's only leftwing party. On 5 May 1989, Cárdenas declared the establishment of the PRD. Former PRI members who also helped found the PRD include: Cárdenas, Porfirio Muñoz Ledo, Ifigenia Martínez y Hernández and Andrés Manuel López Obrador.

The party was founded by smaller left-wing parties such as the Mexican Communist Party (PCM), Unified Socialist Party of Mexico (PSUM), Mexican Socialist Party (PMS) and Mexican Workers' Party (PMT). The PMS donated its registration with the Federal Electoral Commission (CFE) to enable the new party to be established.

### First decade (1989–1999)

Small leftist group leaders joined the PRD which left small leftist organizations vulnerable. Additionally, some leftist organizations were wary that their individual concerns would be lost by joining a political group.

In the early years, the PRD was not successful in elections because of electoral fraud. The PRD often claimed that the PRI was participating in electoral fraud. This was in contrast to PAN, the conservative party, who chose to cooperate with the PRI. However, the PRD also cooperated with the PRI to make policy changes that moved towards democracy.

Salinas, PRI member and president of Mexico from 1988 to 1994, had made some improvements to the Mexican economy but Mexico still did not have a democratic system. During this time the PRD had become involved with many social justice movements against the neoliberal and antidemocratic policies of the PRI. The most famous of which was the party's involvement with the Zapatista Army of National Liberation (EZLN). Some members of the party wanted to strongly and publicly denounce the armed struggle, whereas others decided to emphatically approve the movement and its goals therefore, it was difficult to form a united front. Nonetheless, many PRD supporters also supported the EZLN and bolstered the movement through the use of posters and murals at PRD events. Although, these instances portrayed the party to appear to be more radical than they actually were, Cárdenas himself took advantage of this support. He met with Subcomandante Marcos and did not attempt to distance the party from the EZLN. This support did not pay off as the EZLN did not help the PRD win any votes and Marcos accused the PRD of being the same as the PRI and PAN. The PRI labeled Cárdenas and the PRD as sympathizers of the EZLN and supporters of armed struggle. Additionally, the PRD had a difficult time transitioning from a movement with a non-negotiable goal to a party that pushed gradual reforms.

#### 1994 presidential election: Cárdenas

Cárdenas ran for national presidency under the PRD in 1994. Cárdenas ran against Diego Fernández, PAN candidate, and PRI party winner of the election, Ernesto Zedillo Ponce. Cárdenas made the Alianza Democrática Nacional campaign, where he mobilized 57 organizations. Cárdenas did not cooperate well with the PRD and was sometimes contradictory to the PRD.

The PRI used its media influence to promote the idea that changing the governing party would disrupt the nation as well as to portray Cárdenas and the PRD as confrontational and violent.

After his loss Cárdenas claimed fraud; however, the party did not support him and instead focused on winning seats in congress.

#### 1994 presidential election aftermath

In 1997, the PRD won its first governorship with Cárdenas as governor of Mexico City. The PRD also gained the second largest majority in the Chamber of Deputies. These victories were due in part to changes in electoral rules. These changes included the creation of the new Federal Elections Institute in 1990 which established six independent councilors who required legislative approval.

This division between currents was seen during the internal election of 14 March 1999 when there were voting discrepancies.

By the end of 1999, 650 members of the PRD had been assassinated, mostly by the PRI, as a way to intimidate those working towards democracy, civic engagement, and social movements.

### Second decade (1999–2009)

#### 2000 presidential election: Cárdenas

After the election of Vicente Fox, PAN candidate, the PRD announced that it would not file any complaints about the elections. This was a shift in strategy from the usual protests of fraud. However, some local PRD activists groups filed complaints but these were turned down by the PRD and the electoral court.

#### 2006 presidential election

The former mayor of Mexico City, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, was the presidential candidate for the "Coalición por el Bien de Todos" (Coalition for the Good of All) in the 2006 presidential elections. López Obrador ran against Felipe Calderón, PAN candidate, and Roberto Madrazo, PRI candidate.

López Obrador's campaign relied on citizen's networks (redes ciudadanas) that focused on mobilizing the public to campaign. This strategy focused on López Obrador as an individual and not the PRD. This was worrisome to PRD leaders because they thought that the PRD's concerns would not be addressed. However, many party members thought that López Obrador would win so these concerns were not addressed.

After the general election of 2 July 2006, and a recount of the 9.09% of the ballot tally sheets which supposedly presented irregularities, the Federal Electoral Institute recorded the vote results in favor of Felipe Calderón by a margin of 0.58 percent, about 243,000 votes. These results were later validated by the Federal Electoral Tribunal. However, the PRD claimed that there was election fraud. The claims of election fraud have been rejected by the Federal Electoral Tribunal (TEPJF), which considered these "notoriously out of order" ("notoriamente improcedente") and certified PAN 's candidate Felipe Calderón as the winner.

López Obrador then rallied his supporters to hold demonstrations in the capital, Mexico City. These demonstrations were organized by the PRD, whose stronghold is in Mexico City. The PRD had called for demonstrations and set up camps in the capital's main square, blocking one of its main avenues (Paseo de la Reforma) for six weeks to demand a recount of all votes, which was not granted. The camps were later dismantled after confrontation with the Mexican Army became likely.

On 5 September, the Federal Electoral Tribunal announced that there was not enough evidence of electoral fraud which legitimized Calderon as president. This caused López Obrador to maintain his campaign of civil disobedience and declared himself as "Legitimate President" in a "public open vote" (people in the main square raising their hands). López Obrador did not recognize the legitimacy of Calderón as president. The PRD was criticized for not complying with the democratic system that it had lauded and helped create. However, the PRD could not agree on whether they should move forward and cooperate with the current system and contribute to policy or take on an uncompromising stance in an attempt to overturn the current system. This split later trickled on to other things such as electoral and petroleum reforms where one part of the party wanted to cooperate while the other refused to out of allegiance to López Obrador.

In 2008 after bitter infighting within the party Jesús Ortega, an opponent of Andrés Manuel López Obrador, was elected party president. In the 2009 legislative elections, López Obrador supported two smaller parties while maintaining his ties to the PRD.

#### Videoscandals

The party had enjoyed a reputation of honesty unmatched by its competitors, until the "Video Scandals" a series of videos where notable party members were taped receiving cash funds or betting large sums of money in a Las Vegas casino.

Later, another video was recorded by Cuba's government where Carlos Ahumada, the man providing the money, states that members of the PRI and PAN, PRD's rivals, were planning the situation presented in the first video as part of a plot against Andrés Manuel López Obrador to discredit him as a possible presidential candidate.

Party members who were seen on the video tapes were expelled from the party, but those who were supposedly associated, but never legally charged, are still active members.

### Modern era (2009–present)

#### 2012 presidential election

López Obrador ran for president again in 2012, but lost to Enrique Peña Nieto.

After the loss, López Obrador told a rally in Mexico City's main plaza Zocalo on 9 September 2012 that he would withdraw from the Democratic Revolution Party "on the best of terms," as well as the Labor Party and Citizens' Movement (MC). He added that he was working on founding a new party from the Movement for National Regeneration, which he would later name MORENA.

#### 2018 presidential election: Ricardo Anaya

The defeat of the PAN and the PRD in the Mexico general elections in 2012, as well as the departure of Andrés Manuel López Obrador from the PRD, caused these two parties to approach each other despite the friction obtained in the 2006 general elections.

During 2017, Ricardo Anaya, then President of PAN, announced his party's proposal to create an alliance of politicians called "Opposition Wide Front" in order to "form a coalition government that will result in a stable majority that can be governed the country and make the change of regime a reality."

On 5 September the PAN formalized an alliance with PRD and MC under the name of "Citizen Front for Mexico," registering the coalition before the National Electoral Institute, an alliance to last for 6 years.

On 17 December, the three parties ratified the alliance with the creation of an electoral coalition to participate in the federal elections of 2018 and multiple state elections with the name of " Por México al Frente."

#### 2018 presidential election aftermath

In August 2018 PRD abandoned Por México al Frente. In early 2019, the PRD split, with nine deputies leaving the PRD and joining Morena and the government coalition of López Obrador. This gave the government a two-thirds majority, allowing for the passage of constitutional reform.

On 22 December 2020, the PRD formed the new alliance Va por México, together with the National Action Party and the Institutional Revolutionary Party.

#### 2024 presidential election

In 2023, the PRD, along with the National Action Party and the Institutional Revolutionary Party formed the Fuerza y Corazón por México, an electoral alliance that competed in the 2024 Mexican general election with Xóchitl Gálvez as the coalitions’ presidential candidate against the Sigamos Haciendo Historia coalition’s candidate Claudia Sheinbaum of the Morena party.

### Dissolution at national level

Having lost the general election and failing to have achieved 3% of the national vote in the 2024 general election (in the election for president, Senate, nor Chamber of Deputies), the party lost its registration as a national party. It will remain registered as a state-level party and it can participate in the local elections of Aguascalientes, Baja California Sur, Guerrero, Mexico City, Michoacán, Morelos, Oaxaca, San Luis Potosí, Sonora, the State of Mexico, Tabasco, Tlaxcala and Zacatecas. On August 28, 2024, two remaining PRD senators-elect, Araceli Saucedo Reyes of Michoacán and José Sabino Herrera of Tabasco, switched their party affiliations to the Morena caucus ahead of the LXVI Legislature of the Mexican Congress.

## Election results

### Congressional elections

### Governorships

Source:

## Principles

The PRD believes that Mexico currently has major problems of economic and social inequality that halt social development and affect liberty and democratic coexistence. Which is why the PRD has developed the following principles for their political party.

### Democracy

- The PRD considers democracy to be the most fundamental principle that it hopes to establish in Mexico.

- The PRD believes that democracy is the political regime that should be established in society because the ruling power goes to the people through voting.

- The internal organization of the party should be democratic.

- The PRD believes that democracy in Mexico is strengthened by an open, democratic, and transparent system of parties.

- The PRD acknowledges the diversity of Mexico and is committed to preserve and develop it.

- The PRD is also committed to a secular state in which there can be liberty, tolerance, and coexistence between all people.

### Human rights

- The PRD is against any form of segregation or discrimination.

- The PRD fights to promote, expand, respect, protect, and guarantee the exercise of human rights understood in its most broad meaning which includes: civil rights political rights economic rights social rights cultural rights environmental rights right to access to information right to solidarity for the collective benefit for all citizens and rights of ethnic groups

- civil rights

- political rights

- economic rights

- social rights

- cultural rights

- environmental rights

- right to access to information

- right to solidarity for the collective benefit for all citizens

- and rights of ethnic groups

- The PRD also emphasizes these rights in regard to the following groups: young people children women senior citizens the lesbian, gay, transsexual, transgender, bisexual and intersexual community migrant workers in the nation and abroad.

- young people

- children

- women

- senior citizens

- the lesbian, gay, transsexual, transgender, bisexual and intersexual community

- migrant workers in the nation and abroad.

- The PRD recognizes indigenous communities as equal in regard to the human rights that they are entitled to, with differences that must be respected.

- These differences include their: traditions culture forms of social expression and language.

- traditions

- culture

- forms of social expression

- and language.

- The human rights that they are entitled to include: right to self-autonomy right to their land right to the use of their land right to conservation right to collectively use their natural resources right to access to economic development.

- right to self-autonomy

- right to their land

- right to the use of their land

- right to conservation

- right to collectively use their natural resources

- right to access to economic development.

- The PRD believes it is an obligation of the state to support with public policy and methods necessary to guarantee the development of all indigenous communities and towns.

- The PRD sustains the fundamental principle of the San Andrés Accords.

- The PRD is also against the death penalty, militarization of police, and military jurisdiction to crimes and misdemeanors of civic order.

### Substantive equality and diversity in regard to sexual orientation

- The PRD believes in the equality between women and men as well as gender mainstreaming.

- The PRD champions the access to the same treatment and opportunities between men and women.

- The PRD strives for women to have access to exercise their human, sexual, and reproductive rights and to make choices about their body in a free and informed manner.

- The PRD promotes gender equality in all social spheres which are manifested in patriarchal and machismo -based power relations that threaten the dignity of women.

### Education, science, and culture

The PRD defends the educational principles that inspired the third article of the constitution and alights itself with an education -from beginning education to university- that is secular, public, free, scientific, and of quality, as well as an education that strengthens national identity.

### Economy

The PRD, since its founding, believes that the state should have jurisdiction and should intervene in the fundamental and prioritized areas of the productive sector, as are nutrition, production of clean energy, telecommunications, the process of technology, infrastructure, communication mediums, financial systems, and technology trade for the national and regional development, restraining ownership and dominion of hydrocarbons and radio-electric spectrum for the nation and the recovery of basic goods that guarantee sovereignty.

### Social justice

The PRD defends the rights of every Mexican worker, the preservation and expansion of social security and the permanent improvements of contractual conditions.

### Environment

The PRD adopts the principle of sustainable development as well as preserving the cultural environment. The PRD does this to satisfy the necessities of current and future generations, based on the responsible use of natural resources, including new tools for development, that would allow for the protection and recovery of the environment with comprehensive public policy.

### International scope

The PRD supports the self-determination of communities, non-intervention, legal equality of states, the cooperation for national development and sovereignty and the respect and incorporation of international treaties to legislation.

## Internal organization

The PRD consists of: congresses, councils, and executive committees, an assembly, and a committee. The nation, states, and municipalities have the same organization. They each have a congress, a council, and an executive committee. Congress has the most authority, the council coordinates communication between congresses, and the executive committee applies the guidelines set in place by the council. The maximum rule for any elected position is three years. The national, state, and municipal president cannot be reelected for the same position. The PRD has an anti-discriminatory policy for its internal elections. The PRD has policies put in place that guarantee the inclusion of women, young people, and indigenous people.

The National Congress is the maximum authority of the PRD. The National Congress approves the statue, the declaration of principles, the program, and the political organization of the party. 90% of the National Congress is made up from delegates elected in municipal assemblies. The rest of the National Congress is made up by two delegates for each State Council, the presidents of the State Councils, the members of the National Executive Committee, and by the elected delegates of the National Council that shall not exceed 4% of the total delegates in the Party's Congress. The National Council chooses the majority of its 21-member executive committee except for the president of the party, the secretary of the party, and the parliamentary group coordinators.

In 2014, the PRD became the first political party to have internal elections organized by the Federal Electoral Institute where those affiliated with the party could vote for the members of the National Congress and Council as well as State and Municipal Councils. 2 million people participated in the internal elections which is about 45% of those affiliated with the party.

### Currents

Inside the PRD, there are "currents" that are dedicated to specific approaches and stances or about specific themes or movements. These include:

- National Democratic Alternative (Alternativa Democrática Nacional)

- New Left (Nueva Izquierda)

- New Sun Forum (Foro Nuevo Sol)

- National Democratic Left (Izquierda Democrática Nacional)

- Political Action Group (Grupo Acción Política)


Pushtimarga Sampradaya

# Pushtimarga Sampradaya

## Abstract

The Puṣṭimārga, also known as Pushtimarg (Path of Nourishing, Flourishing) or Vallabha Sampradāya, is a sect within the Vaishnavism tradition of Hinduism. It was established in the early 16th century by Vallabha (1479–1531) and further developed by his descendants, particularly Vitthalanatha. Followers of Pushtimarg worship Krishna and engage in devotional practices centered around the youthful Krishna as depicted in the Bhagavata Purana, and the pastimes of Govardhana Hill.

The Pushtimarg sect follows the Shuddhadvaita philosophy of Vallabha. According to this philosophy, Krishna is considered the supreme deity and the source of everything. The human soul is believed to be imbued with Krishna's divine light, and spiritual liberation is thought to result from Krishna's grace. The sect worships Krishna through sevā, a practice in which his idols are served and entertained with food, drink, music, and art, recreating his daily routine as a youth in Braj.

The followers of this tradition are known as Pushtimargis or Pushtimargiya Vaishnavas. This sect is prominent in the Indian states of Rajasthan and Gujarat, as well as in its regional diaspora around the world. The followers in Gujarat usually belong to the Bhatia, Lohana, Bania, Marwari, and Kanabi Paṭela castes. The Shrinathji Temple in Nathdwara is the main shrine of Pushtimarg, with its origins dating back to 1669.

## History

### Vallabha

Vallabha was born into a Telugu Brahmin family in South India. He received a traditional education in Sanskrit scriptures and was precocious student. In 1494, he had a vision in which he acquired the Brahmasambandha mantra from Kr̥ṣṇa which was to be used to clean the faults of a human soul. He first bestowed the mantra on Dāmodardās Harsānī who would become the first member of the Puṣṭimārga. When he went to Govardhan Hill he declared that the stone being worshipped as Devadamana was the svarūpa of Śrī Nāthajī and instituted the formal sevā of the deity. He adopted the houshoulder form of life and had two sons, Gopīnātha and Viṭṭhalanātha. In Vijayanagara he won a religious debate and was awarded the title ācārya of the Viṣṇusvāmi sampradāya. Throughout his life he made three pilgrimage tours of India where he won converts mainly from the Gangetic plain and Gujarat, with converts mainly belonging to mercantile or agricultural castes to whom the ideals of purity were appealing. He died in 1530, designating his elder son Gopīnātha as his successor.

### Viṭṭhalanātha

In 1540, the Gauḍiya priests of Śrī Nāthajī, who Vallabha hired, were expelled from Govardhan Hill giving the Puṣṭimārga sole control over the deity's worship. In 1542 Gopīnātha died with his son soon following him, thus leaving Viṭṭhalanātha as the leader of the Puṣṭimārga. From 1543 to 1581 Viṭṭhalanātha went on fundraising tours to Gujarat where he converted many merchants, agriculturalists, and artisans. He also successfully obtained royal Hindu and Mughal patronage for the sect. He heavily transformed the simple sevā of his father's time into a deeply aesthetic experience that sought to recreate the daily life of Kr̥ṣṇa in which he was offered expensive clothing, jewelry, perfumes, and sumptuous meals. The art of paintings and poetry was also added to rituals to enhance their appeal. Among his seven sons he distributed major svarūpas of Kr̥ṣṇa. Upon Viṭṭhalanātha's death the spiritual leadership of the sect was divided among his seven sons among whom he distributed major svarūpas of Kr̥ṣṇa and granted the sole right to bestow the brahmasambandha mantra, that is, initiate new members. Thus, the Puṣṭimārga was divided into Seven Houses (Sāt Ghar) or Seven Seats (Sāt Gaddī), with all patrilineal male descendants of Vallabhācārya having these rights. These descendants have the titles "mahārājā" (Great King) or "gosvāmi" (Lord of Cows), and the chief mahārāja of the first house has the title of tilkāyat and is primus inter pares.

### Later history in Braj

Viṭṭhalanātha's sons continued successfully obtaining patronage of the sect from Mughal emperors. Viṭṭhalanātha's son Gokulanātha authored many texts in Sanskrit and particularly in Braj Bhasha, which reemphasized the themes of Vallabha's works in a more accessible language. Gokulanātha is considered the most prominent Puṣṭimārga figure of the era, and according to sectarian sources defended the sect's right to wear their sectarian tilaks and tulsi malas from a Shaiva-Tantric ascetic named Jadrup who exerted significant influence over the emperor Jahangir.

In the early 1600s, the houses were disputing over the rights to perform worship to Śrī Nāthajī, and the emperor Shāh Jahān sided with the tilkāyat Viṭṭhalarāy that the First House held precedence over the others. The Third and Sixth Houses also disputed over the century over the worship of the deity Bālakr̥ṣṇa, resulting the exodus of both Houses out of Braj to Surat, Gujarat. The Third House eventually moved to the region of Mewar in Rajasthan due to the invasion of the Marāṭhās where they were welcomed by the kings and granted refuge. In Braj, the Jāṭ rebellion under the reign of emperor Aurangzeb cause many religious communities including the remaining houses of the Puṣṭimārga to flee to Rajasthan where they received protection. The First House who were the custodians of Śrī Nāthajī settled in a village in Mewar that would become Nāthadvārā.

### 19th century

According to Pocock, the Pushtimarg was at its height in the late 19th century.

The Maharaj Libel Case, in which a mahārājā from Surat named Jadunath Brizratanji sued the journalist Karsandas Mulji on the charges of libel in the Supreme Court of Bombay, was widely publicized. In the paper Satya Prakāśa Mulji had called the Vallabha Sampradāya a degenerate sect with false doctrines, and accused its mahārājās (naming Jadunath Brizratanji) of forcing female devotees to have sexual relations with them. The British judges sided with Mulji, and the Puṣṭimārga's reputation was tainted, and the sect viewed negatively by Western scholars until the late 20th century.

The tenure of tilakāyat Govardhanalāl (tilkāyat from 1876 to 1934) is often described as the "golden age" of both Nathdwara and the Puṣṭimārga.

### 20th and 21st centuries

In the 20th century, the Pushtimarg prospered thanks to the acquired affluence of some of its members, primarily Gujarati merchants. The Gujarati diaspora led to the foundation of important Pushtimarg centers in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand.

In the early 21st century, the sect is not very well known in India. Since the latter half of the 20th century, the mahārājās no longer have the same level of religious and secular authority over their followers, and are much more restrained in terms of their public presence. While devotee families include those of great wealth, they as well do not draw attention to themselves. The Puṣṭimārga does not actively seek converts in modern times.

## Key Tenets

### Śuddhādvaita

According to Vallabha, the society of his time was ridden with ills such as bloodshed, barbarians, foreigners, the departing of gods from temples, an impure Ganges river, the presence of heterodox communities, ineffective religious rites, disappearance of the caste system, and the prevalence of greed, hypocrisy, and impurity. In response, Vallabha formulated the philosophy of Śuddhādvaita, in opposition to the Ādvaita Vedānta of Śaṅkara, which he called Maryādā Mārga or Path of Limitations. Vallabha rejected the concept of Māyā, stating that the world was a manifestation of the Supreme Absolute and could not be tainted, nor could it change. According to Vallabha, Brahman consists of existence (sat), consciousness (cit), and bliss (ā nanda), and manifests completely as Kr̥ṣṇa himself. In this philosophy Kr̥ṣṇa as Brahman is considered the supreme and sole being, and that Brahma, Śiva, and Viṣṇu are his limited avatāras.

If someone forgot this truth about Kr̥ṣṇa and his nature, it was due to ignorance derived from material attachments. However, for certain select individuals this ignorance could be removed through divine grace (puṣṭi) that would move one to a path of devotion where one would rely on Kr̥ṣṇa's grace alone. Such people who were admitted into the Path of Grace or Puṣṭi Mārga.

The purpose of this tradition is to perform sevā (selfless service) out of love for Kr̥ṣṇa. According to Saha, Vallabhācārya states through single minded religiosity, a devotee would achieve awareness that there is nothing in the word that is not Kr̥ṣṇa. According to Barz, in Śuddhādvaita the concept of uddhāra or lifting a jīva out of ignorance is granted solely through the grace of Kr̥ṣṇa who may have seemingly unknowlable reasoning. He states in Śuddhādvaita philosophy uddhāra may be granted to any jīva regardless of sectarian membership in the Puṣṭimārga or conduction of sevā, as it is granted rather solely through Kr̥ṣṇa's independent will.

Vallabha stated that religious disciplines that focused on Vedic sacrifices, temple rituals, puja, meditation, and yoga had limited value. The school rejects ascetic lifestyle and cherishes householder lifestyle, wherein the followers see themselves as participants and companions of Krishna, and their daily life as an ongoing raslila.

### Texts

Vallabha accepts four prior works as the major bases for his doctrines: the Vedas, the Bhagavad Gītā, the Brahma Sūtra, and the Bhāgavata Purāṇa. However, in practice the Vedas are not studied, whereas the Bhagavad Gītā and Bhāgavata Purāṇa are. Vallabha composed many philosophical and devotional books during his lifetime which includes:

- Subhodinī, a partial commentary on the Bhāgavata Purāṇa

- Aṇubhāṣya, a partial commentary on the Brahmasūtra of Bādarāyaṇa

- Tattvārthadīpanibandha, a text interpreting existing Hindu scriptures through Vallabha's philosophy of Śuddhādvaita

- Tattvārthadīpanibandhaprakāśa, a commentary on the Tattvārthadīpanibandha

- Ṣoḍaśagrantha, sixteen treatises on important facets of Śuddhādvaita and theology of the Puṣṭimārga

Later figures authored prose texts in Braj Bhasha in the vārtā genre. The progenitor of the vārtā tradition is Vallabha's grandson Gokulnāth (1552–1641) and Gokulnāth's grandnephew Harirāy (1590–1715). The prose vārtā s served as hagiographies about Vallabha, Viṭṭhalanātha, and their disciples that could educate everyday devotees in Puṣṭimārga doctrine.

In terms of volume, Harirāy has the greatest literary output of the sect. There are hundreds of Sanskrit and Braj Bhasha prose works attributed to him, and over a thousand Braj Bhasha poems under various pen names. Pauwels and Bachrach compare Harirāy to Vyāsa of the Puranic tradition, to whom texts are by default attributed.

The Caurāsī Vaiṣṇavan kī Vārtā (the most notable vārtā text) details accounts of 84 Vaiṣṇava devotees of the Puṣṭimārga who were the disciples of Vallabhācārya. Complementing the text is the Do Sau Bāvan Vaiṣṇavan kī Vārtā by the same authors detailing the lives of 252 disciples of Viṭṭhalanātha. Gokulnāth is attributed to be the original collector of these accounts but they were likely not written down but rather collections of his discourses. His grandnephew Harirāy is attributed to be the final editor of the two texts. The Caurāsī Vaiṣṇavan kī Vārtā exists in two recensions, one without commentary and one with commentary written by Harirāy. The recension with commentary is called the Tīn Janma kī Līlā version and generally contains more episodes but is more concise than the recension without commentary. The Do Sau Bāvan Vaiṣṇavan kī Vārtā was more likely composed by Harirāy's disciples and was completed at the end of the 17th century.

Harirāy is also the attributed author of the Braj Bhasha text Śrī Nāthajī Prākaṭya kī Vārtā which recounts the history of Śrīnāthajī from the svarūpa's appearance on Govardhan hill until the removal to Nathadwara in 1672. Harirāy's authorship of this text is doubted, and the current text may only date to the 19th century. The Nijavārta and Śrī Ācāryajī ke Prākaṭya Vārta describe the life of Vallabha, while the Baiṭhaka Caritra (post early 18th century) describes Vallabha's travels around India. The Bhāvasindhu recounts information about the followers of Vallabha and Viṭṭhalanātha, and Viṭṭhalanātha has his own Nijavārta and Baiṭhaka Caritra.

Another important text is the Vallabhākhyān, a Gujarati poem by Gopāḷdās (a devotee of Viṭṭhalanātha) composed before 1577 that praises the family of Vallabha, and was one of the earliest to establish the divinity of Vallabha, Viṭṭhalanātha, and their descendants.

## Practices

### Brahmsambandha and Initiation

The formal initiation into the Pushtimarg is through the administration of the Brahmasambandha mantra. The absolute and exclusive rights to grant this mantra, in order to remove the doṣa s (faults) of a jīva (soul) lie only with the direct male descendants of Vallabhācārya. According to Vallabha, he received the Brahmasambandha mantra from Kr̥ṣṇa one night in Gokula. The next morning Vallabha administered the mantra to Damodaradāsa Harasānī, who would become the first member of the sampradāya.

In Vallabhācārya's time, an (adult) to-be devotee would ask Vallabha to admit him, and if Vallabha was willing to take the potential devotee, he would ask him to bathe and return. Vallabha would then administer the mantra, asking the devotee to use Kr̥ṣṇa's name and to devotee everything he had to Kr̥ṣṇa, after which Vallabha would begin the spiritual education on doctrines and texts.

In modern times the majority of members of the sect are born into Pushtimarg families, with the administering of the mantra being split in two ceremonies. The first when the children are about five years old, is when the first part of the mantra: " śrī kr̥ṣṇaḥ śaraṇam mama " and a tulasī necklace is given. When the boys turn twelve or before girl's marriage, a day-long fast occurs. The devotee to be then is asked to devote his or her mind, body, wealth, wife, household, senses, and everything else to Kr̥ṣṇa, after which he or she is considered a proper member of the sampradāya. The mantra and initiation is always and may only be performed by the direct male descendants of Vallabha.

### Houses and Svarūpas in the Puṣtimārga

Viṭṭhalanātha had seven sons among whom he distributed nine major svarūpas of Kr̥ṣṇa that were worshipped by the Puṣṭimārga. Each son founded a lineage that served as leaders of each house or seat of the sampradāya. Here are the sons of Viṭṭhalanātha, the svarūpas and where they currently reside.

- Giridhara, whose descendants hold Śrī Nāthajī (Nāthadvāra, Rajasthan), Śrī Navanītapriyajī (Nāthadvāra, Rajasthan), and Śrī Mathureśajī, (Koṭā, Rajasthan)

- Govindarāya, whose descendants hold Śrī Viṭṭhalanāthajī (Nāthadvāra, Rajasthan)

- Bālakr̥ṣṇa, who descendants hold Śrī Dvārakānāthajī (Kāṁkarolī, Rajasthan)

- Gokulanātha, whose descendants hold Śrī Gokulanāthajī (Gokula, Uttar Pradesh)

- Raghunātha, whose descendants hold Śrī Gokulacandramājī (Kāmabana, Rajasthan)

- Yadunātha, whose descendants hold Śrī Bālakr̥ṣṇajī (Sūrata, Gujarat)

- Ghanaśyāma, whose descendants hold Śrī Madanamohanajī (Kāmabana, Rajasthan)

The nine listed svarūpas in Puṣṭimārga theology are considered svayambhu (self-born), sevya-svarūpa (having been offered sevā by Vallabha and Viṭṭhalanātha), and nava-nīdhi (nine receptacles of treasure).

They eldest gosvāmi of the First House (descendants of Giridhara) holds the title of tilakāyat, and are the custodians of Śrī Nāthajī. The tilakāyat is considered the highest authority in the Puṣṭimārga.

#### Other svarūpas and the eighth house

Yadunātha's descendants also hold Śrī Kalyāṇarāijī (Baroda, Gujarat) and Śrī Mukundarāyajī (Vārāṇasī, Uttar Pradesh).

The eighth house was founded by Tulasīdāsa aka Lālajī, whose descendants hold Śrī Gopināthajī (Br̥ndābana, Uttar Pradesh, until 1947 at Ḍerāgāzīkhāṁ, Sindh). Tulasīdāsa was an adopted son of Viṭṭhalanātha, and the svarūpa in his descendants' possession is of less significance than the other svarūpas.

### Sevā

The daily sevā and darśana periods are meant to portray a day in the life of Kr̥ṣṇa Gopāla, or Kr̥ṣṇa as Cow-protector. In the Pushtimarg, sevā is the unselfish worship of a svarūpa, under the doctrine that the svarūpa is sentient and appreciates refined food, clothing, and the arts. The themes of the sevā are based on the līlā s ("pastimes" or "play") of Kr̥ṣṇa as depicted in the Bhāgavata Purāṇa. Based on the līlā, appropriate pure and high quality food and clothing are offered to the svarūpa. The svarūpa is entertained by singers and poets, with paintings called pichvaī s being placed in the background to enhance the bhāva ("emotion") of the sevā.

Through sevā, members of the sampradāya are meant to experience bhāva in order to understand the rasa ("essence") of Kr̥ṣṇa's līlā s, through which a devotee experiences the unselfish love for Kr̥ṣṇa. Sevā occurs privately at the home, but also an important aspect is communal sevā in a havelī. In the Puṣṭimārga the icons of Kr̥ṣṇa are installed not in temples (mandir) but in mansions (havelī). The havelī is considered to be the private dwelling of Kr̥ṣṇa and entrance is only granted at appointed darśana times.

#### Daily Darśanas

- Maṅgalā, the awakening of the svarūpa in the morning and serving of light breakfast

- Śr̥ṅgāra, the adornment of apprioriate attire for the day

- Gvāla, the grazing of cows in pasture

- Rājabhoga, the main meal of the day, with the svarūpa being put to sleep afterwards

- Utthāpana, the awakening from the afternoon nap

- Bhoga, the light afternoon dinner

- Sandhyārati, the evening worship with lighted lamps

- Śayana, the putting to sleep of the svarūpa and closing of the havelī

#### Bhāva

There are four main types of bhāva: dāsya, sakhya, madhura, and most imortantly vātsalya. Vātsalya bhāva treats Kr̥ṣṇa as if he were a child and the devotee his caring mother or father. Specifically, devotees aim to model Yashoda, imparting tender love and concern to Krishna. This bhāva manifests in acts of sevā through providing toys and blankets, and cooling Krishna's meals before serving them. Madhura bhāva places the devotee in the role of a gopī (cowherd-girl of Braj) who take part in the love-play of Kr̥ṣṇa's līlā s in the nighttime. Sakhya bhāva places the devotee in the role of gopa (cowherd) as a friend of Kr̥ṣṇa's games and cowherding activities in the daytime. Dāsya bhāva treats the devotee as a humble servant of Kr̥ṣṇa as a king who praises his master while demeaning himself. This bhāva is of less presence in the Puṣṭimārga as Vallabha put a greater emphasis on the personal and emotional relationship on the first three bhāvas.

### Pilgrimage

Baithak, literally "seat", is the site considered sacred by the followers of the Pushtimarg for performing devotional rituals. These sites are spread across India and are chiefly concentrated in Braj region in Uttar Pradesh and in western state of Gujarat. Total 142 Baithaks are considered sacred; 84 of Vallabhacharya, 28 of his son Viththalanath Gusainji and 30 of his seven grandsons. They mark public events in their lives.

### Festivals

In the Puṣṭimārga, several festivals are celebrated including Holī, Kr̥ṣṇa Janmāṣṭamī, Nāgapañcamī, and Annakūṭa. On the festival days the sevā is designed to match with the bhāva of the holiday.

### Music

Music plays a key role in sevā in the form of kīrtans. The aṣṭachāp, or group of eight poets who composed Braj Bhasha devotional poetry and kīrtans are revered in the sect. According to sectarian sources the eight poets were Kumbhanadāsa, Sūradāsa, Nandadāsa, Paramānandadāsa, Kr̥ṣṇadāsa, Caturbhujadāsa, Govindasvāmī, and Chītasvāmī. The most famous of the eight is Sūradāsa, whose relationship with the Puṣṭimārga is most tenuous, and some of the members also have historically unclear relations to the sect.

In modern times, the musical liturgy contains nearly ten thousand padas by thirty-forty poets including the aṣṭachāp. The kīrtans are categorized into five major groups: Nitya (daily), Utsav (festival), Baddhāī (good wishes), Malhār (rainy season), and Dhamār (spring).

In Gujarat, lay devotees sing songs in the dhoḷ tradition. The dhoḷ originated as form of non-sectarian folk Gujarati song that later became identified with Vaishnavism as well as the Vallabhite sect in particular. In modern times, Mallison observed that only among the Vallabhans is the dhoḷ likely to survive. They are sung only by lay Gujarati devotees, particularly women, and are not part of the formal temple Braj liturgy. The authors of dhoḷs are generally not well known in literary circles except for Dayārām.

## Sources

- E. Allen Richardson. Seeing Krishna in America: The Hindu Bhakti Tradition of Vallabhacharya in India and Its Movement to the West. Jefferson: McFarland, 2014. 240 pp. ISBN 978-0-7864-5973-5.

- The Path of Grace: Social Organization and Temple Worship in a Vaishnava Sect. By Peter Bennett. Delhi: Hindustan Publishing Corporation, 1993. xi, 230 pp.