Famed for being the birthplace of the most beloved God, Lord Krishna; this place is quite famous for being the overall travel destination. This town has been dotted with many ages of stories, myths, and legends.
Visiting Mathura, you will be finding a lot of temples that belong to ancient times. What’s more, is that alongside this great city flows the legendary Yamuna river. This river has been considered sacred in Hinduism and has played a very important role at various junctures of Hindu history.
Considered as the birthplace of holy men, Mathura is one of the most popular religious destinations to visit in North India. It is also the Janam Bhoomi of Lord Krishna. Apart from this, Mathura has various highlighting factors like its ancient past, myths and various legends attached to it.
Best Time to Visit Mathura
Moving to the best time to visit Mathura, the summer season is very hot and humid. Thus, it is not recommended to travel here during the peak of the summer months. The monsoons in Mathura are a mix of cool and humid temperatures. However, the winter season (October to March) is cool, pleasant, and probably the best time to visit Mathura.
History of Mathura
The Ishvaku Dynasty Connection
According to the historical records of the Archaeological Survey of India, the city of Mathura finds its meaning in one of the oldest Indian epics, Ramayana. Yes, during the time of the Ishvaku dynasty, Prince Shatrughana slew a demon in the city. His name was Lavanasura.
Archaeological Excavations
The archaeological surveys and excavation activities conducted here depict the transformation of this village to an entire city. The earliest records found here belong to the Painted Grey Ware Culture (Iron Age) which was then followed by the Northern Black Polished Ware Culture (Urban Iron Age). Coming to the 6th century, Mathura had now become the capital of Sursena Kingdom. After the demise of this Kingdom, it was the Maurya Empire that ruled these lands from 4th to 2nd century BCE.
The Destruction by Foreign Rulers
In our collective history, the city of Mathura was time and again sacked by various foreign rulers. In 1018 BCE this city was ransacked by Mahmud of Ghazni. After him, it was Sikander Lodi who ruled the Delhi Sultanate from 1489 to 1517 BCE. Due to his hostile behaviour towards the Indian land and the people, Sikander Lodhi was even given the title of Butt Shikan, meaning ‘Destroyer of Hindu Deities.’ After these kings, came the terrible times of Mughal King Aurangzeb. The Mughal ruler built Shahi-Eidgah Mosque and interestingly, he built it very close to Shri Krishna Janambhoomi.
Major Attractions in and Around Mathura
1. Govardhan Hill
This is essentially an 8 km hill range located in Vrindavan. It is considered to be very sacred, especially by the Vaishnavas. It is believed that Lord Krishna had lifted the entire mountain to help the locals from the anger of Lord Indra. From then on, this hill holds a very significant place in the hearts of the devotees.
2. Dwarkadish Temple, Mathura
Considered as one of the holiest temples in the entire Mathura, one can see a huge crowd of devotees on any given day here. Built in 1814, this holy temple is relatively new as compared to other ancient temples of India. It is a great place to look out for if you are an ardent Krishna devotee.
3. Vishram Ghat
If you are tired of living and think that there is nothing new happening in life then, you should give a visit to Vishram Ghat situated in Mathura. It is believed that performing certain Hindu rituals can make a person get rid of all the Prarabdha and Sanchit Karma of the past.
How to Reach Mathura
The city of Mathura is situated at a distance of 183, 1,263, 1,986, 1,263 km from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, and Mumbai respectively. Let’s see how you can reach Mathura from various destinations.
By Air
Agra Airport (AGR) is the nearest airport to Mathura. It is located at a distance of about 68 km from Mathura. It is basically a military airbase and a public airport that serves the city of Agra and its nearby regions. In 2007, this airport celebrated its sixtieth anniversary.
Here is a list of Indian cities from where flights are available to Mathura
By Train
Mathura has its own railway station of the same name. It is considered as an important train junction located on the Agra-Delhi chord of Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Chennai lines. This train station mainly serves Mathura and Vrindavan.
The highlighting point of this train station is its 10 platforms. There is even a separate junction for southbound and westbound trains. In total, there are seven lines from this railway junction. Various trains operate to and fro offering great overall connectivity with nearby places. From
- Delhi - Board Bhopal Shatabadi from New Delhi Junction and deboard at the Mathura Junction
- Lucknow - Board PNBE Kota Express from Lucknow NR and deboard at the Mathura Junction
- Kanpur - Board ALD JP Express from Kanpur Central and deboard at the Mathura Junction
- Jaipur - Board Kavi Guru Express from Jaipur Railway Station and deboard at the Mathura Junction
- Indore - Board Malwa Express from Indore Junction BG and deboard at the Mathura Junction
- Varanasi - Board PNBE Kota Express from Varanasi Junction and deboard at the Mathura Junction
- Ajmer - Board Kavi Guru Express from Ajmer Junction and deboard at Mathura Junction
By Road
Depending upon your location, you can also travel to Mathura by road as well. You can consider travelling by your own vehicle, cab or even a bus. From Delhi, the bus fares are starting from Rs.400. From Gwalior, the bus fares are starting from Rs.600. From Jaipur, the bus fares start from around Rs.400.
Here is how you can reach Mathura by road networks.
- Delhi - 164 km via Taj Express Highway
- Gwalior - 174 km via NH44
- Jaipur - 221 km via NH21 or Alwar-Jaipur Road
- Ajmer - 353 km via NH48 or NH21
- Udaipur - 614 km via NH21 or NH52
- Indore - 681 km via NH46 or NH52
- Varanasi - 688 km via Agra-Lucknow Expressway
- Ranchi - 1,077 km via NH19
- Patna - 935 km via Agra-Lucknow Expressway
Frequently Asked Questions about Mathura
Q. What are the top tourist attractions in Mathura?
A. The top tourist attractions in Mathura include the Krishna Janmabhoomi Temple, Dwarkadhish Temple, Gita Mandir, Government Museum, and the Kusum Sarovar.
You can plan your trip and create your own route to the city with Adotrip’s technically driven circuit planner. Click here
