Mathura

The sacred city on the Yamuna where Bhagavan Shri Krishna appeared in the prison of Kansa.

Mathura, on the banks of the Yamuna, is the city where Bhagavan Shri Krishna appeared. According to the Shrimad Bhagavatam, he was born at midnight on the eighth day of the dark fortnight of Bhadrapada, in the prison of the tyrant king Kansa, where his parents Vasudeva and Devaki were held captive. That same night Vasudeva carried the newborn across the Yamuna to Gokul. Years later Krishna returned to Mathura with Balarama, ended Kansa's reign of fear and freed his parents. Mathura is counted among the seven sacred cities (Sapta Puri) of India and is the heart of the Braj region.

The most visited site is the Shri Krishna Janmasthan complex, which includes the Garbha Griha shrine marking the place of the prison cell, and the Keshav Dev temple. Vishram Ghat on the Yamuna is the place where, according to tradition, Krishna rested after slaying Kansa; the evening Yamuna aarti here fills the heart with devotion. The Dwarkadhish temple in the old city, built in the nineteenth century, is known for its richly adorned darshan and its Pushtimarg style of worship, and its swing (jhula) darshans during the monsoon month of Shravan are especially lovely.

Janmashtami is the greatest festival, when the whole city stays awake until midnight to welcome the Lord and the temples ring with bhajans and kirtan. Holi in Mathura and the surrounding Braj villages is also celebrated with great joy over many days.

Practical note: Mathura Junction is a major railway station on the Delhi–Agra route, and Agra is the nearest large city. Vrindavan, Gokul and Govardhan are all a short road journey away, so most pilgrims make Mathura the starting point of their Braj yatra.

State

Uttar Pradesh

Nearest City

Agra

Main Temples

Shri Krishna Janmasthan, Keshav Dev Temple, Vishram Ghat, Dwarkadhish Temple

Associated Leela

Birth of Shri Krishna and the slaying of Kansa