About Mathura (Mathura City Information)

Although almost like a forgotten city after the great cultural, rich endearing past it had Mathura has grown in recent years into a multi-faceted urban sprawl with haphazard industrial development on the outskirts.

Mathura is a city of temples and shrines abustle with the thousands of devotees who come to visit the city of Lord Krishna. A splendid temple at the Katra Keshav Dev marks the spot that is believed to be the Shri Krishna Janmasthan - the birthplace of the Lord, by his devotees. Another beautiful shrine, the Gita Mandir, located on the Mathura -Vrindavan Road has a fine image of Shri Krishna in its sanctum. The whole of the Bhagwad Gita is inscribed on the walls of this temple.

The ornate sandstone Holi Gate at the entrance to the old city is Mathura's major landmark, to the east the riverfront is minute compared to Varanasi, the bathing ghats are much smaller ,along the river towards the North lie the remains of the Kans Qila,a fort built by Raja Man Singh of Amber & rebuilt by Akbar though little is left apart from foundations, no traces survive of the astronomical observatory constructed by Jai Singh(as seen in Jaipur, Delhi, Varanasi).

Best Saeson
Mathura city is at an altitude of approximately 187 metres above sea level .The temperatures during summer can reach a maximum of 45 degree Celsius & minimum of 22 degree Celsius, while in winter the temperatures dip a bit & are approximately 32 degree Celsius maximum & 14 degree Celsius minimum. Mathura receives rainfall of approximately 65 cms (June to September). So the best season to visit Mathura is between mid-October to January.

Places to see

Brajbhoomi
The land where Lord Krishna was born and spent his youth, has today small towns and hamlets that are still alive with the Krishna- legend and still redolent with the music of his flute. Mathura, a quiet town on the River Yamuna was transformed into a place of faith after Lord Krishna was born here. Vrindavan, a village - once noted for its fragrant groves, is where he spent an eventful youth. There are numerous other little spots in the area that still reverberate with the enchantment of Lord Krishna.

The Dwarikadhish Temple
The most popular shrine at Mathura is the Dwarikadhish Temple to the north of the town, dedicated to Shri Krishna. This was built in 1815 by a staunch and wealthy devotee, Seth Gokuldas Parikh, Treasurer of the State of Gwalior.

Shaivite Temples
The town has a number of Shaivite temples as well. The chief among them being the Bhuteshwar Mahadev Temple to the west of the town, the Gokarneshwar Temple in the north, the Rangeshwar. Mahadev Temple to the south and the Pipaleshwar Mahadev Temple to the east.

Kunds
No pilgrimage to Mathura is complete without a visit to its "Kunds". Tradition has it that there were 159 ancient kunds in all. Of these only four survive and can be seen. There is the elegant shiv Tal, the more famous Potara Kund associated closely with Lord Krishna besides the Balbhadra and Saraswati kunds.

The Jami Masjid
The Masjid, on a plinth raised above street level a little way north, was completed in 1661 by Aurangzeb's governor Abd-un-Nabi.It has long since lost its original vivid glazed tiles, but remains surrounded by four minarets & assorted outer pavilions.

Katra Masjid
500m west, stands another of Aurangzeb's mosques, the impressive red sandstone Katra Masjid. This was erected on the foundations of the once-famous Kesava Deo temple, destroyed by the Moghul Emperor, which had itself been built on the ruins of a Buddhist monastery. Some traces of the Hindu temple can be seen around the back, where the Shri Krishna Janamsthan or Janmabhoomi complex now stands. Directly behind the mosque ,approached through a corridor a shrine marks Krishna's exact birthplace; its cage -like surround signifies that he was born in captivity, when his parents were prisoners of the tyrant King Kansa. Inside the adjacent Bhagwat Bhavan-is the modern, towering, flamboyant great hulk also known as Gita Mandir. Nearby the impressive stepped sandstone tank of Potara Kund is believed to have been used to wash Krishna's baby clothes.

Kans Quila
Lying on the northern bank of the River Yamuna is the Kans Qila, now mostly in ruins. An observatory, akin to the Jantar Mantar at Delhi, was built here at a later date by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh (1699-1743) of Amer. Sati Burj, 17 mt. high, built of red sandstone in 1570 AD, is a slim tower which commemorates the death of a noble lady - widow of Raja Bihari Mal of Amer who committed sati. The four storeyed tower was erected by Raja Bhagwan Das on the right bank of the Yamuna at Sati Ghat The Jama Masjid with its four lofty minarets and bright mosaic, built in 1661 AD, is also a must see.

The Vishram Ghat
There are about 25 ghats in Mathura today, of which the most important is the Vishram Ghat. Where according to legend, Shri Krishna took his rest after killing Kansa. It is at Vishram Ghat that the traditional parikrama (circumbulation of all the important religious and cultural places of the city) starts and ends.

The Vishram Ghat is lined with elegant temples and some of Mathura's most important shrines are found here - the Mukut Temple, Radha-Damodar, Murli Manohar, Neelkantheshwar, Yamuna-Krishna, Langali Hanuman and Narasimha temples. The baithak of the great Vaishnava Saint, Shri Chaitanya, is also near by. The aarti held at the Vishram Ghat each evening is not to be missed, for the little oil lamps that are floated on the river set the placid water as sparkle with a myriad flickering lights.

The 12 ghats to the north of Vishram Ghat include the Ganesh Ghat, Dashashwamedh Ghat with its Neelakantheshwar Temple, Saraswati Sangam Ghat, Chakratirtha Ghat, Krishnaganga Ghat, Somatirth or Swami Ghat, Ghantagharan Ghat, Dharapattan Ghat, Vaikuntha Ghat, Navtirtha or Varahkshetra Ghat, Asikunda ghat and Manikarnika Ghat. To the south, there are 11 ghats - the Guptatirth Ghat, Prayag Ghat marked by the Veni Madhav Temple, Shyam Ghat, Ram Ghat, Kankhal Ghat, the site of the Janmashtami and Jhula festivals, Dhruva ghat, Saptrishi Ghat, Mokshatirth Ghat, Surya Ghat, Ravan Koti Ghat and Buddha Ghat.

Radha Dhiraj Bazaar
Heading through the network streets that radiates from Vishram Ghat brings you to Radha Dhiraj Bazaar & the large & ostentations turn-of-the-century Dwarkadhish temple, approached by steep steps off the busy main road.

The Government Museum
Mathura originally founded by F.S. Growse in 1874, is today one of the leading centres for research, study and the preservation of Mathura' s splendid heritage of art. The museum housed in a fine octagonal, red sandstone building, located at Dampier Park, has the largest collection of Kushana sculptures in the country. The Museum has also fine collections of stone sculpture and terracotta, gold, silver and copper coins, clay seals, ancient pottery, paintings and bronzes.