MATHURA - VRINDAVAN
Altitude: 3,133 mt. Above Sea-Level
Dedicated To: Lord Vishnu
Built In: 8th Century A.D
Lord
Krishna - He is easily the most popular person here. Every square foot
of Mathura-Vrindavan is wrapped in timeless devotion to Lord Krishna, the
evergreen hero of Hinduism, the lover of Radha, the cowherd-prince and the
re-incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Mathura without Lord Krishna is like
Bethlehem without Christ. Welcome to Brajbhoomi or Krishna-land.
Brajbhoomi - The city of Mathura in
Uttar Pradesh
, the nucleus of Brajbhoomi, is located at a distance of 145 km south-east
of Delhi and 58 km
north-west of Agra .
Covering an area of about 3,800 sq. km., today, Brajbhoomi can be divided
into two distinct units - the eastern part in the trans-Yamuna tract with
places like Gokul, Mahavan, Baldeo, Mat and Bajna and the western side of
the Yamuna covering the Mathura region that encompasses Vrindavan,
Govardhan, Kusum Sarovar, Barsana and Nandgaon. In a nutshell, the land of
Braj starts from Kotban near Hodel about 95 km from Delhi and ends at
Runakuta which is known specially for its association with the poet
Surdas, an ardent Krishna devotee.
An Ancient City - An ancient city, Mathura's strategic location at
the cross roads of various trade routes - that went westwards to West Asia
and the Roman Empire; northwards, via Taxila, Pushkalavati and Purushapur
to Central Asia and the Silk Route and eastwards to China - ensured its
position as a centre of trade and a meeting point for varied cultures. By
the 5th century BC, during the time of Buddha, it was a major metropolis
and the capital of the Surasena Kingdom. Mathura saw its `golden age'
during the rule of the Kushanas and the able governance of rulers
Kanishka, Huvishka, and Vasishka, when the arts flourished and economic
wealth grew. It remained a centre of power during the Mauryan period,
through the enlightened rule of Emperor Ashoka (3rd century BC) to the
Gupta era (4th century AD).
Holy
Land - It has often been said that it is easier to count the number of
dust particles on the surface of the earth than to count the number of
holy places in Mathura. Each of the Ghats, for instance, has its own
Krishna myth. Here He rested after killing his evil and tyrannical uncle,
King Kansa; This is where His mother tied him after he stole butter; This
is the sacred grove where Krishna and Radha spent lazy, love-filled times
- the list is endless. In Mathura-Vrindavan, it is difficult to know the
dividing line between reality and myth.
Vrindavan - The City Of Temples - Vrindavan, around 15 km from
Mathura, is a major place of pilgrimage, on the banks of
Yamuna
. Attracting about 5 lakhs pilgrims every year, it is noted for its
numerous temples- both old and modern. Vrindavan is synonymous with the
innocent mirth and child like playfulness of Shri Krishna. Vrindavan, the
dusty little town known for the temples, big and small, famous and remote
strewn all over the place.
A Divine Career - Lord Krishna was born in a prison cell in
Mathura. His father Vasudev aided by several celestial forces stole him
out of Mathura, across the raging river Yamuna and into the house of Nand
in Gokul. Krishna spent his early childhood here and revealed the first
signs of his divinity. His uncle Kansa's muderous attempts forced Krishna
to leave Gokul and move to Nandgaon, a more secure home high up on a hill.
From here, the adolescent Krishna, the cowherd, would wander into the
Vrindavan forests to play with his friends and dally with Radha, his lady
love. Vrindavan, is still a transcendental world, a place of Krishna's
leela, (play), of deep eroticism and an archetypal connection to nature.
Each tree in the area speaks, as it were, of the love of the divine
couple.
