Mathura,
a little town on the riverbed of Yamuna in Uttar Pradesh state of India
is the birthplace of Lord Krishna. There are numerous little spots in
the area that still reverberate with the enchantment of Shri Krishna.
The town is at a distance of 145 km southeast of Delhi and 58 km
northwest of Agra covering an area of about 3,800 sq. km. A long line of
picturesque ghats - with their steps leading to the water's edge, arched
gateways and temple spires extending along the right bank of the River
Yamuna, emphasize the sacred character of the town of Mathura.
Mathura is a city of temples and shrines bustle 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 (birthplace of the Lord). 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 the temple.
The most popular shrine at Mathura is the Dwarikadhish Temple, built in
1815 to the north of the town. The city stretches along the right bank
of the Yamuna and the continuous the line of ghats along the river makes
a splendid spectacle when viewed from the opposite bank. There are a
total of 25 ghats in Mathura today, of which the most important is the
Vishram Ghat, where Shri Krishna took his rest after killing Kansa.
It is at Vishram Ghat that the traditional parikrama (circumambulation
of all the important religious and cultural spots of the city) starts
and ends. 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. The
Vishram ghat is lined with elegant temple like the Mukut Temple,
Radha-Damodar, Murli Manohar, Neelkantheshwar, Yamuna-Krishna, Langali
Hanuman and Narasimha temples.
No pilgrimage to Mathura is complete without a visit to its 40 survivng
kunds out of 159 ancient kunds. 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.
