The
birthplace of Lord Krishna, Mathura is the best place to observe
the religious heritage of India. The holy town positioned along
the shores of River Yamuna is one of the few that are mentioned
both in history and mythology.
Mathura is naturally full of stories of Krishna as he not only took
birth here but also spent a part of his life here. It is mentioned
in the legendary Hindu epic of Mahabharata.
Later,
it became a part of the Mauryan Empire and King Ashoka, built a
number of Buddhist monuments in and around Mathura in the third
century BC. Mathura earned its name as the center for arts between
first century BC and first century AD. The main theme of the sculptures
of the Mathura School of Art was inspired by the life of Lord Buddha.
With the decline of Mauryan Empire, the influence of Buddhism also
declined. In the 11th century AD, Mahmud Ghazni destroyed a
large
number of Buddhist and Hindu shrines and Sikandar Lodhi followed
his example in the 15th century just like Aurangzeb who flattened
the Kesava Deo temple and Ahmed Shah Abdali who torched the city
in 1757. It came under British rule in 1804. Today, Mathura is a
city of temples and shrines flocked by thousands of devotees who
come to visit the city of Lord Krishna.
»Shri
Krishna Janmbhoomi
A
temple marks the birthplace of Lord Krishna today. A narrow passage
leads one into a small room with a raised platform adorned with
pictures of Krishna as a child to the left. The story of His birth
is written and depicted on the walls. A narrow set of marble steps
leads you to the terrace and a walled corridor creates the effect
of a prison. The prison and the other buildings were razed to the
ground in the 17th century but were restored in 1962 by industrialists
like G.D. Birla.
»Rangbhoomi
Rangbhoomi
situated opposite to the post office in Mathura, is said to be the
wrestling arena where Krishna killed Kansa in a duel. According
to Hindu mythology, Kansa had put his father and parents of Lord
Krishna in prison and usurped the throne. Krishna killed him and
set his parents free reinstating his maternal grandfather Ugrasena
on the throne.
» How
to reach Mathura
By
Air : The nearest airport is Agra, which in turn has regular domestic
flights from Delhi, Khajuraho and Varanasi.
By Train : The Mathura is well connected by trains to Agra, Delhi,
Bharatpur, Sawai Madhopur and Kota. The Taj Express to and from
Delhi is a good option.
By Road : Mathura is very well linked by a network of roads to all
the major cities of Uttar Pradesh and Delhi.
Mathura, Religious Places in India Reservation Form
