Mathura

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Mathura

Mathura, the birth place of Lord Krishna, is located in Uttar Pradesh on the west of the river Yamuna. Besides being a Hindu pilgrimage, this north-Indian city is the centre for administration of the Mathura District.

Travel to Mathura

Mathura, the place of Krishna devotees, houses a number of temples, ghats and ancient Kunds, which depicts the diverse episodes of Lord Krishna's life. The spectacular view of the daily evening aarti and oil lamps floating over Yamuna is something one need not miss while staying in Mathura. The tourist attractions reflecting the religious importance of Mathura are:

• Krishnajanmabhoomi
• Dwarikadheesh Temple
• Jai Gurudev Ashram
• Durvasa Rishi Ashram
• Vishram Ghat (Mathura's main ghat)
• Kans Tila
• Bhooteshwar Mahadev Mandir
• Rangeshwar Mahadev Mandir

Besides these, some of the famous Krishna festivals are held in Mathura with great joy and enthusiasm. The most popular among them is the Krishna Janmashtami held in August or September depending upon the yearly calendar. The other festivals in Mathura include:

• Holi in March-April
• Latha Mar Holi in March-April
• Radhaastami in September
• Yam Dwitiya in October-November

Some of the other festivals include:

• Nandotsav
• Akshaya Tritiya
• Ram Navami
• Ful Dol
• Devi Sita Appearance

How to reach Mathura

Mathura, being one of the seven holiest Hindu cities in India, is well-connected to all the neighboring and other metropolitan cities. The city is directly connected to the different national locations by road and railways.

By Road
Mathura is inter-linked to other districts of Uttar Pradesh by its state transport service. Proximity to several National Highways and Yamuna Expressway keeps the place connected to the different Indian cities. National Highways connecting Mathura to other cities are:

• NH 3 connects to Mumbai
• NH 11 connects to Ajmer
• NH 93 connects to Moradabad (Agra)

Besides this, the state transport system from the nearby states like Rajasthan, Chandigrah, Madhya Pradesh and Haryana serves Mathura. Apart from the 120 buses run from the Mathura bus depot, numerous direct buses are run to Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Udaipur, Jaipur, Lucknow, Delhi, Kanpur, Haridwar, Meerut etc. Intercity bus facility has been made available by JnNurm. Private taxi services are even available there.

By Rail
Mathura, with its four railway stations, smoothly connects to the rest of the state and country by railways. Mathura Junction is the busiest railway station there, which connects the place to the north, south and western India. Local trains for Agra, Alwar and Delhi are available from Bhooteshwar station. Mathura Cantt. serves the eastern Uttar Pradesh whereas, Krishnajanmabhoomi station connects Mathura to Vrindavan. Trains plying in from the city are:

• Bhopal Shatabdi
• Grand Trunk Express
• Jhelum Express
• Karnataka Express
• Punjab Mail

By Air
Though Mathura does not have its own airport yet but is connected to the major Indian cities by the Delhi International Airport. Located at 147 km drive from Mathura, it is the nearest airport to the city. It takes around 9 hrs to reach Mathura by road from this airport. Mathura's own airport, which is presently under construction, will soon start operating.

Last Updated on : 18 August 2011