Mathura

Mathura (Hindi: मथुरा, Urdu: متھرا) is a city in India, located approximately 50 km north of Agra, and 150 km south of Delhi. It is the administrative centre of Mathura District of Uttar Pradesh. During the ancient period, this was an economic hub, located at the junction of some relatively important caravan routes.

Mathura is the reputed birthplace of Krishna, Krishnajanmabhoomi. The Keshav Dev temple was built in ancient times on the site of Krishna's supposed birthplace (an underground prison). In the 6th century BCE Mathura became the capital of the Shursen republic.

The city was later ruled by the Maurya empire (4th to 2nd centuries BCE) and the Shunga dynasty (2nd century BCE). It may have come under control of the Indo-Greeks some time between 180 BCE and 100 BCE. However, it would then have briefly reverted to Indian rule before being occupied by the Indo-Scythians during the 1st century BCE. Archaeological evidence seems to indicate that, by 100 BCE, there was a group of Jains living in Mathura [Bowker].

Mathura served as one of the Kushan Empire's two capitals from the first to the third centuries. The Mathura Museum has the largest collection of redstone sculptures in Asia, depicting many famous Buddha figurines.

In 634 Xuanzang had visited the Mathura town. He went east to Jalandhara in eastern Punjab, before climbing up to visit predominantly Theravada monasteries in the Kulu valley and turning southward again to Bairat and then Mathura, on the Yamuna river.

The city was sacked and many of its temples destroyed by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1018. The Keshav Dev temple was partially destroyed by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, who built the city's Jami Masjid (Friday mosque) on the same site, re-using many of the temple's stones. The main Krishna shrine is presently the Dwarkadeesh temple, built in 1815 by Seth Gokuldas Parikh, Treasurer of Gwalior.

The city is mentioned in the Sherlock Holmes story 'The Sign of Four.'

Today Mathura is situated on very important Road and Train routes in India. The famous Delhi-Agra highway crosses Mathura, providing the city great connectivity. Also, the city houses a fairly large and important train station, named Mathura Junction. The city is home to the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Chennai train routes.

Mathura is home to a large, technologically-advanced oil refinery owned by the Indian Oil Corporation. This refinery is one of the largest oil refineries of Asia.

On the industrial aspect, Mathura is home to a very flourishing Silver polishing industry. In addition to this, Sari-printing and water tap factories are also flourishing in the area.

Tourism is still in a development stage in the city.

A very famous twin-city to Mathura is Vrindavan. The small town hosts a lot of temples belonging to various sects of Hinduism preaching Lord Krishna in various forms/avatars. Some of the most famous temples are Banke Bihari Temple, Rang ji Temple, Iskcon Temple.

Tourism

There are quite a few places to visit in Mathura and its surroundings, most of them linked to the Hindu mythology. Major places are listed here:

1. Krishnajanmabhoomi

2. Dwarikadheesh Temple

3. Kans Kila

4. Vishram Ghat (a bath and worship place on the banks of river Yamuna)

Surrounding smaller towns/villages host of tourist places

1. Barsana

2. Nandgaon

3. Gokul

4. Baldeo

5. Vrindavan

6. Goverdhan

7. RadhaKund

Hotels:

Hotel Goverdhan Palace , Agra Delhi National Highway 0565-2409919,2409920

Radha Ashok Hotel, Masani Road.

Hotel Duke Palace Masani Road.

Mukund Palace, Junction Road.

Hotel Surya International,Tel: +91-565-2409344,+91-9219875408

Hotel Mansaovar Palace

Hotal Brijwasi Royal

Hotel Madhuvan

Art of Mathura

Image:MathuraLionCapital.JPG|The Indo-Scythian Mathura lion capital, 1st century CE.Image:MathuraYaksa.jpg|Yaksa, 1st-2nd century CEImage:MathuraMaitreya.JPG|The Bodhisattva Maitreya, art of Mathura, 2nd century CEImage:MathuraBodhisattvaSide.JPG|The Bodhisattva Maitreya, 2nd century CE.Image:MathuraBuddha.JPG|The Bodhisattva Siddhartha Gautama, 2nd century CE.Image:GuptaBuddha.JPG|Buddha of the Gupta period, 5th century CE. Image:MathuraBuddhaHead.JPG|Head of a Buddha, Gupta period, 6th century CE.

Suggested Reading

* Mathura-The Cultural Heritage. Edited by Doris Meth Srinivasan, published in 1989 by AIIS/Manohar.

References

*Bowker, John (2002). The Cambridge Illustrated History of Religions, p.60.
*Konow, Sten. Editor. 1929. Kharoshthī Inscriptions with Exception of those of Asoka. Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, Vol. II, Part I. Reprint: Indological Book House, Varanasi, 1969.
*Mukherjee, B. N. 1981. Mathurā and its Society: The Śaka-Pahlava Phase. Firma K. L. M. Private Limited, Calcutta.
*Sharma, R. C. 1976. Mathura Museum and Art. 2nd revised and enlarged edition. Government Museum, Mathura.

External links