Mathura (U.P) Tourism - Tourist Places, History, Weather, Trip Cost Complete Guide

Mathura is a city located in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, which is the birthplace of Krishna. The history of Mathura is approximately 2500 years

Mathura is a city located in the state of Uttar Pradesh, India, which is the birthplace of Krishna. According to Indian religious texts, Mathura is an ancient and historical city which is one of the Saptapuri Moksha Dham. It is also called Mokshadayani Tirtha. Mathura was the capital of the kingdom of Surasena which was ruled by Krishna's maternal uncle Kansa. According to the epic Ramayana, this city was founded by Shatrughan after killing the Yadav Lavan at the site of Madhuvan. According to Indian history, Mathura is a city developed as the capital by the Kushan dynasties. It is believed by the people that this city has been in existence even before the time of Lord Krishna i.e. about 7500 years. It is famous as a religious tourist destination. In the year 402, the Chinese traveler Fa-hien mentions in his book about India, "Fahien reached Mathura, where he saw many Bihars, in which more than 3000 bhikkhus lived and all the kings here were followers of Buddha. Fa-hien further writes That no resident of this country would kill any living being, nor drink alcohol, nor eat garlic and onion".

Mathura History

The history of Mathura is approximately 2500 years old. According to the Hindu ancient epic Ramayana, it was founded by Madhu (a person from the Yadu tribe), later Madhu's son Lavanasura was defeated by Shatrughan at the Madhuvan site and founded the city of Mathura. Mathura is an ancient and holy city of Hindus situated on the banks of river Yamuna, which is mentioned in the Indian ancient Sanskrit epic Ramayana and mythological anecdotes. Mathura was earlier known as Madhuvan which means 'dense forest' because there used to be dense forests here. The history of Mathura is inextricably linked with Lord Krishna. This is the place where Lord Krishna killed his maternal uncle Kansa and performed Raasleela in Vrindavan.

In the account of the famous Alexandrian astronomer Ptolemy, we find mention of a city called Modaura, which means "city of the gods" in Latin. Apart from Hindus, Mathura was also a revered place for Buddhists and Jains, which is mentioned by the Chinese traveler Fa Hien who came in 400 AD. Get by. Mathura is also mentioned in Brahmi script and inscriptions during the period of the great king Kanishka of the Kushan dynasty empire. Mathura's location between the Muslim capitals of Delhi and Agra made it vulnerable to Muslim attacks. Mahmud Ghaznavi attacked Mathura city in 1018-19. Temples were also destroyed and demolished by Aurangzeb in Mathura city. In 1757 it once again had to bear the brunt of an attack by Ahmed Shah Durani. During these attacks, Hindu religious places were targeted and destroyed. After these attacks, the number of monks in Mathura decreased from 3000 to 2000.

Presently Mathura is a bustling city and a popular pilgrimage site. Mathura, located about 140 kilometers from Delhi and 58 kilometers from Agra, is constantly crowded with tourists. Vrindavan is the twin city of Mathura and is one of the major places in the Brajbhoomi region.

Story of Mathura

According to Bhagwat Purana, in the Dwapar era, Mathura, the capital of Surasena kingdom, was subjected to cruel atrocities by King Kansa due to which the people there started wanting freedom from a king like Kansa. Seeing the darkness of this atrocity, Lord Vishnu himself appeared in a dungeon of Mathura on the night of Ashtami and in the same prison was born as Lord Krishna at midnight in the Rohini Nakshatra. 5000 years ago, there used to be a servant of King Kansa at a place named Katra Keshavdev, the birthplace of Krishna. After birth, Lord Krishna performed Raasleela in Vrindavan, killed many demons and demons and brought welfare to Mathura by killing his maternal uncle Kansa.

After Krishna killed Kansa, his father-in-law Jarasandha became Krishna's staunch enemy. The cruel Jarasandha was the ruler of Magadha. According to Harivansh Purana, Jarasandha wanted to expand his empire, for this he had conquered many kings and brought them under his control. After the death of Kansa, he wanted to kill Mathura to take revenge from Krishna. Jarasandha had attacked Mathura 18 times, out of which he failed 17 times. For the last attack, Jarasandha took along a powerful foreign ruler, Kalayavan, with him. Kalayavan was killed in the battle, after which his countrymen became enemies of Krishna. The common people of Mathura were troubled by this war again and again. After this, Krishna decided to leave Mathura and argued that he was not running away from the war but would fight as per his chosen place and array. After leaving Mathura, Krishna along with the people of Mathura came to the city of Dwarka situated on the coast of Gujarat.

Mathura Tourist Places

Mathura is one of the ancient cities of India, as we know that Mathura is a God's land and a pilgrimage site, hence we get to see many tourists and pilgrimage sites in Mathura. In Mathura, we get to see many temples built with Indian architecture and peaceful places to visit like ghats, museums, ashrams. Important places to visit in Mathura are mentioned below.

1. Shree Krishna Janmasthan: Krishna Janmasthan Temple is the place where Lord Krishna appeared and where he was born. Through stories and legends Lord Krishna was born in the prison of a king named Kansa who was the maternal uncle of Lord Krishna. There is a temple near the entrance of the jail where Ashtabhuja Maa Yogmaya appeared. This temple has been destroyed several times in history. After the death of Gokul Jat in 1670, it was destroyed by the Mughal invader Aurangzeb and he built the Idgah Mosque there which still stands today.

2. Vishram Ghat: Vishram Ghat is located in Naya Bazar, 30 meters from Dwarkadhish Temple in Mathura. It is one of the major ghats among the 25 ghats of Mathura. There are 12 ghats in the north and 12 ghats in the south of this ghat. Saints made Vishram Ghat their penance place and resting place. A very beautiful temple of Yamuna Maharani is situated at this place. It is believed that Lord Krishna took rest at this place after killing Kansa, hence the name Vishram Ghat. Two floor architectural structure is also located here. Lakhori brick and lime, red and sandstone have been used to make it. It is open all the time, seven days a week.

3. Government Museum Mathura: This museum is a government museum and archaeological museum located in Mathura city of Uttar Pradesh state of India. Historical and important objects of Mathura are kept in this museum. It was established in 1874 by 'Sir FS Grose', the then District Magistrate of Mathura district.

4. Shri Dwarkadhish Temple: Shri Dwarkadhish Temple is situated in Rajadhiraj Bazar of Mathura Nagar. This is one of the oldest and largest temples in Uttar Pradesh. This temple is known for its cultural splendor, art and beauty. Every year in the month of Sawan, lakhs of devotees come here to see the gold and silver carousels from far and wide. Presently the structure of this temple was built by Seth Gokul Das Parikh.

5. Prem Mandir: Prem Mandir is located in Vrindavan, Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, India. This temple is dedicated to Lord Radha Krishna and Sitaram. This temple has been built by Jagadguru Kripalu Maharaj. This temple is spread over 54 acres of land. The construction of this temple started in January 2001 and was inaugurated by 17 February 2012. 150 crores have been spent in the construction of this temple.

6. Kansa Fort Mathura: It is a fortified palace located in Mathura. Krishna's maternal uncle Kansa used to live in this fort, hence this fort was named Kansa Fort. It is believed that this fort dates back to the Mahabharata period around the sixth century BC.

7. Sri Krishna Balarama Mandir: Sri Sri Krishna Balarama Mandir is also known as ISKCON Temple. This temple is dedicated to Lord Krishna and his elder brother Balarama. This temple has been built at the place where Lord Krishna and Balram ji spent their childhood. This temple is located in Vrindavan under the Mathura district of the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

8. Baba Jaigurudev Temple: Jai Gurudev Temple, also known as Nam Yoga Sadhna Mandir. This temple is dedicated to a famous person Baba Jai Gurudev. The revered Guruji of the temple also runs a charitable organization and ashram.

9. Maa Vaishno Devi Dham: Maa Vaishno Devi Dham is located at some distance from Prem Mandir. This temple is dedicated to Maa Durga. A 141 feet high idol of Maa Durga has been made in this temple. The nine forms of Mother Goddess have been beautifully depicted in this temple. This temple is built in 11 acres. In this temple we get to see Darshan Gufa, Langar Hall, Free Dispensary, Spiritual Hall and Library. This temple has been established by J.C Chowdhary. The construction of this temple was started in 2003 and this temple was completed in May 2010. There is also an ashram here where you can stay.

10. Govardhan Parvat: Govardhan Parvat is a nagar panchayat under Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh. This area is also called Brajbhoomi. This is the place of Lord Krishna's pastime where Shri Krishna had lifted a Govardhan mountain on his little finger to save the people of Brij from the wrath of Indra in Dwapara Yuga.

11. Nidhivan, Vrindavan: Nidhivan is also known as Tulsi Van. It is one of the holy places of Vrindavan. Nidhivan is dedicated to the pastimes of Shri Krishna and his companions and gopis. Devotees have a belief that Nidhivan watches Krishna and Radha's dance and Rasleela at night, so no one is allowed to stay here at night. Many Tulsi trees are found in Nidhivan in pairs which are wrapped around each other. Apart from Tulsi plants, there is also a temple named Rang Mahal here. It is believed that Krishna-Radha used to come here to rest at night after Rasleela.

Best Time to Visit Mathura

The best season to visit Mathura is from October to March. The weather in Mathura is cool and pleasant during these months. During the summer season, Mathura experiences extreme heat and humidity. In the months of June and July the temperature here rises up to 45 degrees Celsius which is not a good season to visit. Therefore, according to pilgrims and tourists, one should visit Mathura in the months of October to March. There are many ashrams and hotels available to stay in Mathura. Where you can book your room through offline and online medium.

How to Reach Mathura?

Mathura city is very well connected with all other cities of India. It is situated 145 kilometers away from Delhi and 58 kilometers away from Agra. You can come here by bus, train, plane. Mathura Brajbhoomi is divided into two separate units, one in the eastern part of Yamuna which includes places like Gokul, Mahavan, Baldev, Mat and Bajna and the other in the western part of Yamuna which includes Vrindavan, Govardhan, Kusum, Sarovar, Barsana.

By Air: Mathura, you can easily reach via air route. The nearest airport here is Agra Airport which is located at a distance of 50 kilometers and Indira Gandhi International Airport is located at a distance of about 147 kilometers from here. You can take a taxi to reach Mathura from the airport.

By Rail: Mathura is also very well connected to other cities of India through rail route. The nearest railway stations here are Mathura Junction and Mathura Cantt, which is located at a distance of 16 kilometers from Vrindavan. You can easily reach Vrindavan via taxi from Mathura Junction Railway Station.

By Road: Vrindavan is also well connected by road to all the states of India. Mathura is connected by National Highway 2. You can also come here from cities like Delhi, Agra via bus and taxi. You can also reach with the help of your vehicle through NH2.