MATHURA CITY TRAVEL Guide
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Every square foot of Mathura-Vrindavan is wrapped
in timeless devotion to Lord Krishna, the evergreen hero
of Hinduism, the lover of Radha, the cowherd-prince and
the re-incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Mathura without Lord
Krishna is like Bethlehem without Christ. Welcome to
Brajbhoomi or Krishna-land.
Brajbhoomi - The city of Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, the
nucleus of Brajbhoomi, is located at a distance of 145
km southeast of Delhi and 58 km north-west of Agra.
Covering an area of about 3,800 sq. km., today,
Brajbhoomi can be divided into two distinct units - the
eastern part in the Trans-Yamuna tract with places like
Gokul, Mahavan, Baldeo, Mat and Bajna and the western
side of the Yamuna covering the Mathura region that
encompasses Vrindavan, Govardhan, Kusum Sarovar, Barsana
and Nandgaon. In a nutshell, the land of Braj starts
from Kotban near Hodel about 95 km from Delhi and ends
at Runakuta which is known specially for its association
with the poet Surdas, an ardent Krishna devotee.
An Ancient City -
An ancient city, Mathura's strategic location at the
cross roads of various trade routes - that went
westwards to West Asia and the Roman Empire; northwards,
via Taxila, Pushkalavati and Purushapur to Central Asia
and the Silk Route and eastwards to China - ensured its
position as a centre of trade and a meeting point for
varied cultures. By the 5th century BC, during the time
of Buddha, it was a major metropolis and the capital of
the Surasena Kingdom. Mathura saw its `golden age'
during the rule of the Kushanas and the able governance
of rulers Kanishka, Huvishka, and Vasishka, when the
arts flourished and economic wealth grew. It remained a
centre of power during the Mauryan period, through the
enlightened rule of Emperor Ashoka (3rd century BC) to
the Gupta era (4th century AD).
Holy Land -
It has often been said that it is easier to count the
number of dust particles on the surface of the earth
than to count the number of holy places in Mathura. Each
of the Ghats, for instance, has its own Krishna myth.
Here He rested after killing his evil and tyrannical
uncle, King Kansa; this is where His mother tied him
after he stole butter; this is the sacred grove where
Krishna and Radha spent lazy, love-filled times - the
list is endless. In Mathura-Vrindavan, it is difficult
to know the dividing line between reality and myth.
A Divine Career -
Lord Krishna was born in a prison cell in Mathura. His
father Vasudev aided by several celestial forces stole
him out of Mathura, across the raging river Yamuna and
into the house of Nand in Gokul. Krishna spent his early
childhood here and revealed the first signs of his
divinity. His uncle Kansa's murderous attempts forced
Krishna to leave Gokul and move to Nandgaon, a more
secure home high up on a hill. From here, the adolescent
Krishna, the cowherd, would wander into the Vrindavan
forests to play with his friends and dally with Radha,
his ladylove. Vrindavan, is still a transcendental
world, a place of Krishna's leela, (play), of deep
eroticism and an archetypal connection to nature. Each
tree in the area speaks, as it were, of the love of the
divine couple.
PLACES OF WORSHIP MATHURA – VRINDAVAN TEMPLES
Dwarkadish temple -
Built in 1814 in the center of the town, it is the most
visited temple in Mathura. Followers of Vallabhacharya
manage this temple. Located in the eastern part of
Mathura, not far from the Yamuna River, it is
architecturally interesting: the temple carving and
paintings are major attractions. The temple is a hub of
activity during the festive days of Holi, Janmashtami
and Diwali.
Banke-Bihari temple -
Built in 1864, it is one of Vrindavana's most popular
temples and famous all over India. Swami Haridasa
discovered the Deity of Banke-bihari in Nidhuvana. A
contemporary of the six Gosvamis, Swami Haridasa known
for his devotional bhajanas, was the guru of the famous
musician Tansen.
Mathura Krishna Balrama Mandir -
Built by the International Society for Shri Krishna
Consciousness (ISKCON), it is one of the most beautiful
temples in Vrindavan. The principal deities of this
temple are Krishna, his brother Balram and Radha
(Krishna's consort.) Adjoining the temple is the samadhi
of Shri Prabhupada, the founder of the ISKCON sect,
built in pure white marble. Hare Krishna devotees from
all around the world flock here, bringing a truly
international flavor to this ancient holy city.
Radha Madana-Mohana temple -
This famous temple was established by Srila Sanatana
Gosvami and was the first temple to be built in
Vrindavan, which at that time was just a forest. The
soldiers of the fanatical Muslim Emperor, Aurangzeb,
took the original Deity of Madana-Mohana to Karauli in
Rajasthan for safety during the attack on Vrindavan
Jaipur temple -
One of Vrindavan's most opulent temples, it was built by
the Maharaja of Jaipur, Sawai Madhav, in 1917 after 30
years of labour. The fine hand-carved sandstone is of
unparalleled workmanship, the huge pillars that hold up
the roof are each carved from one solid rock, and the
intricately fashioned marble on the altar is reminiscent
of the Mughal period. The Maharaja financed the railway
line that connects Vrindavana with Mathura, just for the
purpose of hauling the huge pieces of sandstone used in
the temple construction. The deities worshipped here are
Sri Radha-Madhava, Ananda-bihari and Hansa-gopala.
Radha Vallabha temple -
Another very popular temple of Vrindavan which was
founded by Harivamsa Gosvami, who started the Radha
Vallabha sect emphasizing devotion to Radharani. In this
temple, there is no deity of Radharani, but a crown has
been placed next to Krishna to signify her presence. The
Muslims destroyed the original temple of Radha Vallabha
in 1670 and a new temple was built beside the old one.
Seva Kunja -
The Seva Kunj is where Lord Krishna once performed the
Raaslila with Radha-Rani decorating her hair with
flowers and her lotus feet. Radha and Krishna would
sometimes spend the night here, dancing with the gopis
and enjoying transcendental pastimes. There is also a
small temple dedicated to Radha and Krishna's pastimes
called Rang Mahal.
Radha Damodara temple -
This is one of the most important temples in Vrindavan.
The original deity was hand carved by Rupa Gosvami and
given as a gift to his beloved disciple, Jiva Gosvami,
who later built a temple here. Formerly this spot was in
the middle of Seva-kunja and it was the bhajana ( where
he sang devotional songs ) place of Rupa Gosvami.
Radharamana temple -
This is the famous temple of Gopala Bhatta Gosvami.
Radharamana means "one who gives pleasure to Radha", and
is one of the many names of Lord Krishna. The wooden
sitting place (hoki) and shawl (chaddar) or Lord
Chaitanya, that He gave as a gift to Gopala Bhatta
Gosvami is kept in this temple
Jugal Kisore temple -
This is one of the oldest temple of Vrindavana and was
completed in 1627. After Emperor Akbar's visit to
Vridavan in the year 1570, he gave permission for four
temples to be built by the Gaudya Vaisnavas, which were
Madana-mohana, Govindaji, Gopinatha and Jugal Kisore. It
is sometimes called the Kesi ghata temple, as it is
located next to this ghata
Kesi Ghat -
This is the place where Lord Krishna killed the Kesi
demon that appeared in the form of a gigantic horse and
then took His bath in this very same ghata. This is also
very famous bathing place in Vrindavan. An arati (prayer
with lamps) to Yamuna Devi is held here every evening
Rangji temple -
This South Indian style temple was built by the wealthy
Seth family of Mathura in the year 1851, and is
dedicated to Lord Ranganatha or Rangaji, a form of Lord
Vishnu lying down on the Sesa Naga (celestial serpent).
This temple has a traditional South Indian gateway and
is surrounded by high walls. It is one of Vrindavan's
largest temples. Once a year a grand car festival (Ratha
Yatra) is held known as Brahmotsava, during the month of
Chait (March - April), a festival that lasts for 10
days.
Shahji Temple, another popular temple at Vrindavan, was
designed and built in 1876 by a wealthy jeweller, Shah
Kundan Lal of Lucknow. The deities at the temple are
popularly known as the Chhote Radha Raman. Noted for its
magnificent architecture and beautiful marble sculpture,
the temple has twelve spiral columns each 15 feet high.
The `Basanti Kamra' - the darbar hall is famed for its
Belgian glass chandeliers and fine paintings.
Jain tirth -
Nearly 30 cms. long, light - almond - colored, wooden
sandals of Jambuswamaji. Tirth is at a distance
of four kilometers from Mathura. This tirth (pilgrimage)
belongs to the times of Bhagawan Suparshvanth
NEW TEMPLES
Among the new temples springing up along the
Mathura-Vrindavan road is the Gita Mandir which houses
the Gita Stambh, a pillar with the entire Bhagavad Gita
carved on its surface. The imposing temple, built by one
of the country's leading industrial families, the Birlas,
is overshadowed by the outrageous multistoried,
spaceship-like edifice known as the Pagal Baba Mandir
just down the road.
MOSQUES
Jami 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 and assorted outer pavilions.
round 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 Janambhoomi
complex now stands. Directly behind the mosque,
approached through a corridor, a shrine marks Krishna's
exact birthplace (janamsthan); its cage-like surround
signifies that he was born in captivity, when his
parents were prisoners of the tyrant king Kamsa. Inside
the adjacent Bhagwat Bhavan - a modern, towering,
flamboyant great hulk also known as Gita Mandir - a
garishly painted ceiling depicts scenes from Krishna's
life. No cameras are allowed into the complex, where
although the shops and shrines combine to produce a
park-like atmosphere. |
