Situated on the Western banks of River Yamuna, Mathura is a city in the State of Uttar Pradesh. The city being the birthplace of Lord Krishna is one of the major Hindu pilgrimage destinations of India. Mathura was once an economic hub, located at the seam of important caravan routes. Popularly known as "Brajbhoomi", this sacred city is also the administrative headquarter of Mathura District. The city is one of the seven sacred cities (Sapt Mahapuris) in India with 3000 years of history. Mathura along with its surrounding areas, namely Vrindavan, Govardhan and Nandgaon are associated with the childhood stories of Lord Krishna. This holy city has many sites that are connected with the legends and stories related to the childhood of Lord Shri Krishna. Geography and Climate The city of Mathura is situated approximately 50 kilometres (31 mi) north of Agra, and 145 kilometres (90 mi) south-east of Delhi; about 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) from the town of Vrindavan, and 22 kilometres (14 mi) from Govardhan. It is positioned at 27.28°N 77.41°E at an average elevation of 174 metres (570ft). Demographics According to provisional reports of Census India, population of Mathura in 2011 is 349,336; of which 186,586 are males and 162,750 are females. The city has total literacy of 235,976 of which 134,597 are males while 101,379 are females. The average literacy rate is 76.75% of which 82.05% are males and 70.70% are females. The sex ratio of Mathura city is 872 per 1000 males. Population density in 2011 has increased from 621 per km2 in 2001 to 761 per km. Mathura has large population of Jat and Yadavs in rural areas and Brahmins & Baniyas in City. History of Mathura Mathura is among the ancient cities of India that has its roots in Treta Yuga as well as in Dwapara Yuga. This city finds its mention in the great Indian Epic Ramayana. According to legends, Madhu, King of Asuras (demons), who was kind and compassionate to Brahmanas and maintained personal friendship with Devas built a palace and named it as Madhupuri. Owing to his friendly nature, Lord Siva himself gave Madhu an expansion of his own trident for self protection; however, his son Lavana was pole apart from his father and was wicked since his childhood that he used to beat his play mates, kill them and eat them. After handing over whole of the kingdom along with the trident to Lavana, Madhu drowned himself in ocean. Owing to his demonish atrocities towards the people of the region, Shatrughana, youngest brother of Rama expressed his wish to fight with Lavanasura, wanting an opportunity to serve Rama. He fought with Lavana and killed him with a special arrow which was given by Rama and claimed over the land. Later, Madhupuri came to be known as Madhuvan as it was thickly wooded, then Madhupura and later Mathura. Most part of the history of Mathura revolves around the birth of Lord Krishna. During the Dvapara Yuga, Ugrasena, the King of Yuga Dynasty ruled over Mathura and once Ugrasena along with his wife Padmavati were walking in the gardens when the demon Kala Nemi flew over the Mathura city and after viewing the irresistible beauty of Padmavati, Kala Nemi took Ugrasena’s form and seduced Padmavati, resulting in Kamsa’s birth. Kamsa grew up with tremendous power and hence, Ugrasena declared him and crowned him as the prince of Mathura, guaranteeing the succession of kingship after his death or retirement. Kamsa got married to Asti and Prapti, princesses of Magadha kingdom, who were daughters of Jarasandha. With the help of Jarasandha, Kamsa overthrew his father after he refused to retire voluntarily. Kamsa was told in a prediction that he would be killed by the eighth child of Devaki, sister of Kamsa. Kamsa thought of killing Devaki, but her husband Vasudeva requested him not to kill her. He imprisoned both Devaki and Vasudeva. During this time, Devaki conceived repeatedly and Kamsa killed the first 6 children owing to the fear of getting killed. However, Balaram, who was the 7th child was moved to Rohini’s womb and was saved. Krishna was the eighth child. Krishna was saved from the wrath of Kamsa and was brought up by Nanda, friend of Vasudeva and Yashoda, a cowherd couple. When Krishna grew up, he returned to the kingdom and eventually killed Kamsa. Later, Ugrasena was reinstated as the king of Mathura. Vasudeva, the father of Krishna was the Crown-Prince under his reign. The city of Mathura has witnessed fall and rise of many empires. Although nothing much is known about the city post Mahabharata period, it is evident from Buddhist and Jain texts that this city was a popular learning center in 6th Century BC and was frequently visited by both Gautama Buddha, the founder of Buddhism and Vardhamana Mahaveer, the last Jain Tirthankara. They noticed a great potential in the educated population of the city to propagate their ideas. In 320 AD, Chandragupta founded the Gupta Dynasty and ruled from Pataliputra. Later, his son Samudra Gupta added Mathura to the Gupta Empire and was ruled by Chandra Gupta-II (grandson of Samudra Gupta), who built a great temple at the birthplace of Lord Krishna. The city was sacked and many of its temples destroyed by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1018 and again by Sikandar Lodhi, who ruled the Sultanate of Delhi from 1489 to 1517. Later, the city came under the rule of Mughal Empire and during the rule of Aurangzeb, he built the Jami Masjid. A noteworthy fact is that the exact place of birth of Lord Krishna, according to historians, is in the place of worship of the Hindus, though the mosque was built near the birthplace of Lord Krishna and later a bigger shrine dedicated to Lord Krishna, named Dwarkadeesh temple was built in 1815 by Seth Gokuldas Parikh, Treasurer of Gwalior. Culture of Mathura Known as the centre of culture and traditions since ancient times has contributed immensely towards Indian Culture through its rich heritage. The ethos of Mathura as well as the entire Braj mandal is centered on Shri Krishna and his tales. Mathura witnessed heightened activities during the major festivities dedicated to Lord Shri Krishna. Rasiya is a tradition that is integral to Mathura's culture, which is basically the tradition of folk-songs that describe the love of the divine couple Radha and Krishna. It is an inseparable part of the Holi celebrations and all other festive occasions at Mathura. Dhulendi, Holi with drums (dholak), colours, etc. originated from Braj region hundreds of millennia before today and a major festival celebrated here. Raaslilas of Mathura is an integral part of Indian Folklore and as per popular belief Krishna had danced the Raas with gopis on banks of Yamuna river. Tourist Destinations in Mathura One of the most revered cities of the Hindus; Mathura is thronged by pilgrims from various parts of the country. The beauty of this ancient city lies in its beautiful ghats, cloisters and holy temples stretching along the bank of the River Yamuna. It is also an important craft center and is a city resplendent with celebrations throughout the year. All the major festivals and fairs celebrated are celebrated with grandeur, which attracts the travelers from various parts of the globe. The festival of Holi is the most famous among tourists, with travelers from all over India coming to Mathura to witness the uniqueness that lies in its celebration. The famous Lath Mar Holi is celebrated in Barsana near Mathura, with the women beating the men with sticks similar to the way Shri Krishna was chased away for teasing Radha and Gopis. Another festival that should be witnessed by tourists is the Janmashtami festival, when the whole city is in celebration mood with dance and music everywhere. Besides the festivals, the city houses several places of tourist interest. Some of these are: Krishna Janmabhoomi Temple Dwarkadheesh Temple Vishram Ghat Kans Qila Gita Mandir Potara Kund Rangbhoomi Government Museum Kusum Sarovar Kesava Deo Temple Transportation Railway The holy city of Mathura is well-connected by railway to major major cities in India such as New Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Indore, Alwar, Jaipur, Bhopal, Gwalior, Jabalpur, Ujjain, Rewa, Lucknow, Kanpur, Varanasi etc. The city houses four railway stations Mathura Junction being the biggest one connecting to West, North and Southern India. Mathura Cantt connects to eastern Uttar Pradesh. Bhuteshwar serves for local trains for Delhi, Delhi NCR, Agra, Bharatpur and Alwar. Another station Krishnajanmabhoomi connects to Vrindavan via rail bus. Road Mathura is well-connected with various cities of India via roadways NH 2 (Delhi-Howrah) Highway passes through the city and connects to National Highway 3 (to Mumbai), a part of which is known as Mathura Road. NH-11 (Agra to Bikaner) and NH-93 (Moradabad) are also prominent arterial highways. Yamuna Expressway also connects to Mathura and in fact shortest way to reach Mathura by road. Upsrtc, JNNURAM, Rajasthan, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, DTC, Chandigarh and Punjab state transportation bus companies sever the city by providing inter-state bus services. Mathura depot, run by upsrtc, the Uttar Pradesh state bus company has 120 buses. Direct buses are available to Alwar, Indore, Bhopal, Gwalior, Jaipur, Udaipur, Ajmer, Delhi, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Kanpur, Meerut, Haridwar, Rohtak etc. An intercity JnNURM bus facility is also available. However, the most common means of transportation within the city is by cycle rickshaws, auto rickshaws and taxis are also available on hire.
