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Mathura

Mathura is a city of templesand shrines abustle with the thousands of devotees who come to visit the city of Lord Krishna. A splendid temple at the Katra Keshav Dev marks the spot that is believed to be the Shri Krishna Janmasthan - the birthplace of the Lord, by his devotees. Another beautiful shrine, the Gita Mandir, locatedon the Mathura -Vrindavan Road has a fine image of Shri Krishna in its sanctum.

The whole of the Bhagwad Gita is inscribed on the walls ofthis temple. The most popular shrine at Mathura is the Dwarikadhish Temple to the north of the town, dedicated to Shri Krishna. This was built in 1815 by a staunch and wealthy devotee, Seth Gokuldas Parikh, Treasurer of the State of Gwalior. There are about25 ghats in Mathura today, of which the most important is the Vishram Ghat. Where according to legend, Shri Krishna took his rest after killing Kansa.

It is at Vishram Ghat that the traditionalparikrama (circumbulation of all the important religious and cultural places of the city) starts and ends. The 12 ghats to the north of Vishram Ghat include the Ganesh Ghat, Dashashwamedh Ghat with its Neelakantheshwar Temple, Saraswati Sangam Ghat, ChakratirthaGhat, Krishnaganga Ghat, Somatirth or Swami Ghat, Ghantagharan Ghat, Dharapattan Ghat, Vaikuntha Ghat, Navtirtha or Varahkshetra Ghat, Asikunda ghat and Manikarnika Ghat.

To the south, there are 11 ghats - theGuptatirth Ghat, Prayag Ghat marked by the Veni Madhav Temple, Shyam Ghat, Ram Ghat, Kankhal Ghat, the site of the Janmashtami and Jhula festivals, Dhruva ghat, Saptrishi Ghat, Mokshatirth Ghat, Surya Ghat, Ravan Koti Ghat and Buddha Ghat.

The Vishram Ghat is lined with elegant templesand some of Mathura's most important shrines are found here - the Mukut Temple, Radha-Damodar, Murli Manohar, Neelkantheshwar, Yamuna-Krishna, Langali Hanuman and Narasimha temples. The baithak of the great Vaishnava Saint, ShriChaitanya, is also near by.

The aarti held at the Vishram Ghat eachevening is not to be missed, for the little oil lamps that are floated on the river set the placid water as sparkle with a myriad flickering lights. No pilgrimage toMathura is complete without a visit to its kunds. Tradition has it that there were 159 ancient kunds in all. Of these only four survive and can be seen. Thereis the elegant shiv Tal, the more famous Potara Kund associated closely with Lord Krishna besides the Balbhadra and Saraswati kunds.

Tourist Attractions in Mathura

• Shri Krishna Janmbhoomi
  The Shri Krishna Janmbhoomi is the main attraction of Mathura and an important pilgrimage for the Hindus. A stone slab marks the original spot of the birth of Lord Krishna. Theearlier Kesava Deo temple had the room where Lord Krishna was born. According to legends, Lord Krishna was born in a small prison room where the tyrant ruler Kansa held his parents captive.
• Ranghbhumi
• Opposite the post office in Mathura isRanghbhumi, the wrestling arena where Krishna killed Kansa in a duel and set his parents free reinstating his maternal grandfather Ugrasena on the throne. Kansa's fort stood on the riverbank. The most important bathing ghat of Mathura is the Vishram Ghat. It ishere that Krishna took vishram (rest) after killing Kansa.
• Archaeological Museum
  The Archaeological Museum of Mathura is an important place to visit. It houses an excellent collection of sculptures belonging to the ancient Mathura School of Art. The SatiBurj, Kans Qila, Jama Masjid and Dwarkadheesh temple are other places to see in Mathura. Mathura is equally important to Buddhists, Jains and the Pashupati (the worshippers of Shiva) sect of Hinduism. But Krishna legends overwhelm them all.
• Vishram Ghat
  The sacred spot where LordKrishna is believed to have rested after slaying the tyrant Kansa.

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