Mathura

Mathura is an extremely important pilgrimage city where Lord Krishna was born. It is 150 km south of Delhi and 14 km from Vrindavan. The main temple here is called the Keshava Deo temple. Vishramaghat is a bathing ghat on the bank of the Yamuna where Krishna rested after killing King Kansa. There is another place called Rangabhumi where Krishna killed Kansa on the hill called Kansatila. Many pastimes from the Srimad Bhagavatam and other Puranas took place in Mathura.

‘Braj’ – ‘Mathura’ – ‘Vrindaban Dham’ not only refer to the place located in the cultural and linguistic region of ‘Braj’ situated on the banks of the Yamuna river in present-day Uttar Pradesh, but in spiritual sense, this is the celestial transcendental pastimes (Lita). The mind which is full of love and devotion of Shri Krishna, which is the goal of every Krishna–bhakata, is also called Vrindaban. The essential attribute of all these ceoceptualisations is the presence of Supreme Lord Krishna and His retinue. In the eyes of Devotees, the terrestrial Vrindaban is identical with the celestial one.

In the minds of devotees, there is no, doubt that Spiritual abode of Krishna ‘decended’ as earthly ‘Braj Dham’, elaborately explained the concept of the ‘Dham’, based on ‘Padma Puran’ and ‘Brahma-Samhita’. The transcendental abode of Shri Krishna – Goloka Vrindaban is identical with terrestrial Vrindaban Dham. This terrestrial ‘Dham’ is as much transcendental as the celestrial abode.

All the religious books describe the glories of Brajbhoomi- the land where Shri Krishna was born and spent his youth. Mathura and Vrindaban, which fall in the Braj, are the most sacred places of pilgrimage according to Holy Scriptures. Their significance has been very well described in Puranas and other holy books.