Mathura Vrindavan

State: Uttar Pradesh
Location: Positioned in western Uttar Pradesh in the southwestern corner of Gangetic valley.
Area: 3329.4 sq km
Language: Hindi, English, Braj Bhasha.

Introduction:
Mathura: Mathura, positioned on the west bank of river Yamuna, at a distance of 141 km (87.61 miles) south-east of Delhi and 58km (36.03 miles) north-west of Agra. This place is considered as nucleus of Brajhbhumi, which was a vital part of Lord Krishna's life. Matura is the birth place of Lord Krishna, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. He took birth in eighth son of Vasudev, a Yadav prince and his wife Devaki. But destiny has brought him to Gokul. He was separated from his parents to safeguard his life from his cruel maternal uncle Kansa, the king of Mathura. Lord Krishna was than brought up by his foster parent Nand Kishore and Yashodha in company of cowherds.

Beside being a religious place, Mathura is also a place known for its historical significance. It was ruled by the rulers of Solar and Lunar dynasties and became a centre of three cultures of India namely Indo- Scythian and Hellenstic. Mathura has several temples that are chock-a-block with devotees through out the year.

Virndaban:
Vrindaban, a dusty little town of North Uttar Pradesh, is also famed for its various tales related to adolescent days of Lord Krishna. Here, in Vrindaban Lord Krisna has indulged himself in fun and frolic with the Radha and several other gopis. The presence of Lord Krishna's playful and lovable character can still be felt in each and every nook and corner of Vrindaban.

Vrindaban is located approximately 11km(6.83 miles) from Mathura, on the banks of river Yamuna. It is also a important part of Braj Bhumi and has numerous ancient and modern temples. Every year near about 5000, 000 pilgrims from various parts of world comes here during Holi and Krishna janmashtami.

Places To Visit:
Mathura has plentiful of tourist spots. Some of the most important tourist places are

Shri Kirshna Janambhumi Temples: Shri Krishna Janambummi temple, is the most important temple of Mathura. Positioned at the heart of Mathura, this temple is believed to be built on the site where Lord Krishna was born. It has a stone slab that is known to be the exact site of his birth.

Vishram Ghat: Vishram Ghat is the “ghat of rest” where Lord Krishna is said to have taken rest after killing his evil uncle Kansa. Boats for river excursions can be rented from here.

Dwarkadheesh Temple: Constructed in the year 1815 A.D, Dwarkadheesh temple is one of the large and grandiose temple of Mathura. This temple is built on the way to Yamuna river. Holi, Janmashtami and Diwali are the major festivals that are celebrated with much pomp and show.

Jama Masjid: Beside being a religious site for Hindus, Mathura also houses am ancient mosque named Jami Masjid. Constructed by Aurangzeb's governor Abd-un-Nabi in the year 1661 A.D, this mosque has 4 lofty minarets, with bright colored plaster mosaic of which a few panels currently exist.

Government Museum: Located in Dampier Park, Government museum of Mathura is the repository of some of the best statues of Kushana period (first and third centuries) and Gupta Period (fourth and sixth centuries). Most of the artifacts of this museum belongs to the Mathura School of architecture

Vrindaban also has some important temples that are related to Lord Krishna such as Banke Bihari Temple, Shri Ranganatha temple, ISKCON temple, Krishna Balaram temple and Gita temple etc.

Nearby Excursion Places:
Not only Mathura, places around it are also related to Lord Krishna's life. All these places are positioned within 50 km(31.06 miles) from Mathura. Some of the nearby excursion places of Mathura are

Govardhan: Located 26 km (16.15 miles) west of Mathura, Govardhan parvat is actually situated atop a 9km (5.59 miles) hill named Giriraj. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Krishna has held Govardhan parvat on the top of his finger for 7 days and 7 nights to save the people from being drown in rainwater.

Gokul: Positioned just 16 km from Mathura, Gokul is the place where the foster parents of Lord Krishna, Nanda and Yashoda has brought him up. Lord Krishna's real father Vasudeva has secretly brought his son Krishna to Gokul to save his life from his evil maternal uncle. Lord Krishna has spent his fun filled boyhood and adolescent days on the land of Gokul.

Barsana: Barsana, another place that has sighnificant importance in Lord Krishna's life. It lies 45 km from Mathura and is the birthplace of Radha, the consort of Lord Krishna. Barsana is surrounded by hills from four sides that represents the four faces of Lord Brahma.

Nandgaon: Nandagaon identified as the village of Lord Krishna's foster father, is 10 km (6.21 miles) from Barsana on the roads towards Mathura. Barsana houses a eighteenth century temple of Nand Rae. This place is also famous for a special kind of Holi celebration.

Activities To Do:
Sightseeing Activity: Mathura and Vrindaban the two most important pilgrimage destonation of Hindus has large number of temples that houses some beautiful idols of Lord Krishna and Radha. A sight seeing trip to these temples would help visitors to immerse themselves in spirituality.

Photography: Don't miss to bring your lens while your trip to Mathura. It will help to capture the wonderful moments, so that you can cherish it for throughout your life.

Boat Riding: Another most important activity in which the visitors can indulge themselves is boat riding on the Yamuna river. From the Vishram Ghat of Mathura you can hire boats at a reasonable price for excursions.

Best Time To Visit:
The most suitable time to visit Mathura and Vrindaban is from October to March. During this period, the weather of the region remains pleasant, neither too hot nor too cold.

How To Reach:
By Road: Mathura lies in between Delhi to Agra on National Highway 2. It is well connected to both Delhi and Lucknow and other major Indian cities. Many government and deluxe coaches joins it to other cities.

By Rail: Mathura is an important railway junction. All major trains from Delhi and Agra stops at Mathura. Beside them Mathura is also well connected to other Indian cities by Indian railways.

By Air: Nearest airport to Mathura is Agra's Kheria Airport. Regular flights from Delhi ply to Agra, which will help you to reach Mathura.