Mathura is located in the north Indian state of Uttar Pradesh and is one of the prime holy spot for the Hindus. The reason for this is Lord Krishna, an immensely revered Hindu god, is believed to have been born here. The town, which was established by the younger brother of Lord Rama, came under the reign of Kamsa, the maternal uncle of Lord Krishna in the later period. Kamsa was told that he would be killed by the 8th son of his sister, Devki. To safeguard his own life, Kamsa killed Devki’s sons as soon as they were born, but Lord Krishna survived and finally killed his cruel uncle.

In Buddhism, Mathura is important because Lord Buddha paid a visit to this town once. The visit was not very pleasurable since the Buddha hardly took a liking for it. He quoted five disadvantages that plagued Mathura – the uneven ground, abundance of dust, untamed dogs, sinister spirits and lack of sufficient alms food. Mention about these can be found in the Anguttara Nikaya which is the fourth of the five nikayas or collections in the Sutta Pitaka (one of the “three baskets” that make up the Pali Tipitaka).

Today, despite the fact that the town still suffers from very similar problems, a visit to it is a must for a Buddhist tourist. The reason for this being that Mathura is a great centre for Buddhist art. For close to thousand years, Mathura remained a hub of Buddhist art and witnessed a number of artists creating some of their best creations of life.


Buddhist Attractions of Mathura

• The Government Museum : The museum is the place where you will see a whole range of Buddhist artistic sculptures. The museum was established in 1874 by F S Growse and was then known as Curzon Museum of Archaeology. The current name was given a hundred years after its inception, that is in 1974. As per beliefs, the very first Buddha image took shape here. Because of this, the Buddha images made later see significant changes from the earlier ones. The early Buddha images give an earthy appearance while the latter ones portray the enlightened one. Most significant of all here are the sculptures that were excavated from the Goyindsagar site. These sculptures date back to the Kushana and the Gupta period and are extremely helpful in chalking out a complete chronology of the Buddhist pantheons as well as the development of the Mathura School of Art. The museum is open from 10.30 am to 4.30 pm between July 1st to April 30th and from 7.30 am to 1pm between May 1st to June 30th. The museum is closed on all gazetted holidays as well as on Sundays following 2nd Saturday every month. Keep at least two hours to explore the museum properly.
  
  

Other Attractions of Mathura

• Shri Krishna Janmbhoomi : The birth place of Lord Krishna, Shri Krishna Janmbhoomi is the foremost attraction of Mathura. A number of Hindu devotees come in large number every year to see the place where their god was born. The temple complex is huge and has a number of smaller temple within. The prison where Lord Krishna was born is not easy to reach since their is generally a long queue in which you have to stand for quiet sometime. Also, you need to undergo a security check at the main gate and leave your mobile there.
  
  
• Ranghbhumi : Rangbhumi is located opposite the post office of Mathura and is famous as the spot where, in a duel, Lord Krishna defeated Kamsa.
  
  
  
• Vishram Ghat : After killing his cruel uncle Kamsa, Lord Krishna is said to have rested at a place which is now famous as Vishram Ghat. This is considered the most important ghat of Mathura. Every morning and evening, an aarti is performed here. Devotees also believe bathing in Yamuna on the 2nd day of Kartik is extremely auspicious.
  
  

Quick Getaways

• Vrindavan : Vrindavan is just 12 km from Mathura and takes less than half an hour to reach by an auto rickshaw. It is the place where Lord Krishna spent his childhood days and performed a number of extraordinary deeds that have now become a part of legends. Main attractions here include the Krishna Balram Mandir, ISKCON Temple, Govindji Temple, Radha Mohan temple, Kesi Ghat, Radha Damodara Temple, Radha-Gokulananda temple, Radha-Gopinath Temple, Radha Raman Temple and radha Shyamsundara Temple. Actually, it is very difficult to mention the names of all temples here since there are around 5000 of them in the town of Vrindavan!
  
  
  
• Gokul : At a distance of 16 km from Mathura, Gokul is the place where Lord Krishna stayed till the time he was seven years of age. It was here he performed all those butter stealing acts for which he is so famous. Prime attractions here include the House of nand Maharaj, Uthkal (grinding mortar to which he was tied to by mother Yashoda) and Brahmanda ghat (where he ate dirt and revealed the entire cosmic manifestation in his mouth to his mother).
  
  
• Barsana : Around 50 km northwest of Mathura, Barsana or Varsana is considered the birthplace of Radha, the beloved of Lord Krishna. Barsana is made up of four peaks, each one of which is believed to be a head of Lord Brahma. Worthseeing in Barsana ae Larily lal temple, Pila Pokhar, Mayur Kutir, Kushal Behari temple and Sakara Gully. Barsana is also quiet well known for its holy celebrations in which women attack men from Nandgaon with wooden sticks when they try to colour them.
  
  
• Govardhan : Govardhan is situated some 25 km away from Mathura and is famous as the place where Lord Krishna held up a hill on his forefinger in order to save the people from the angst of the rain god, Indra.
  
  
• Agra : Around 47 km from Mathura in the southeast direction, Agra needs little introduction. It is the place where Mughal emperor built his monument of love, the Taj Mahal. The monument is amongst the wonders of the world and attracts a whole lot of tourists from both India and abroad round the year. Agra is also known for other attractions like Agra Fort and tomb of Itimad-ud-daula. Shopping for souvenirs in Agra is a pretty good option.