Mathura - Facts

mathura, Shri krishna janma bhoomi, Mathura temple

Mathura is a holy city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Mathura is located at a distance of 145 km south-east of Delhi and 58 km north-west of Agra. Mathura is covering an area of about 3,800 sq. km. Mathura is reputed to be the birthplace of Krishna at the centre of Vraja, called Krishna janma bhoomi, literary 'Krishna's birth place'.

History Of Mathura:-

As per epic Mahabharata and per Bhagavata Purana, Mathura was the capital of the Surasena Kingdom, ruled by Kamsa the maternal uncle of Krishna. Shri Krishna, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, was born in the Dwapara Yuga as the eighth son of the Yadava prince Vasudev and his wife Devaki. To save him from the murderous intentions of his maternal uncle Kansa, the ruler of Mathura, the infant Krishna was spirited away soon after birth to Gokul, the village of the gopas (cowherds) in Braj (their pastureland). It was here that he grew to manhood, in the tender care of his foster parents Nand and Yashoda in the happy company of the cowherds.The land where Shri Krishna was born and spent his youth, has today little towns and hamlets that are still alive with the Krishna legend and still redolent with the music of his flute.

An ancient city whose origins fade into the mists of history, 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 fifth century BC, during the time of Buddha, it was a major metropolis and the capital of the Surasena Kingdom - one of the 16 Mahajanapadas of the period. Mathura saw its `golden age' during the rule of the Kushanas and the able governance of rulers like Kanishka, Huvishka, and Vasishka, when the arts flourished and economic wealth grew

Mathura served as one of the Kushan Empire's two capitals from the first to the third centuries. The Mathura Museum has the largest collection of redstone sculptures in Asia, depicting many famous Buddha figurines.

Geography Mathura:-

Location: Mathura (27.28 N, 77.41 E) is a district headquarter in the Uttar Pradesh state of India. It is located 145 km south of the national capital New Delhi and 50 km north of the city of Taj Mahal, Agra. District Aligarh is on the east and the Rajasthan district of Bharatpur is to the west.
Area: Geographical Area: 3329.4 km²

Admnistration Mathura:

District Mathura is divided in 3 tehsiles and 10 blocks for administrative purposes.

A: Tehsil: Chatta
1. Nandgaon
2. Chhata
3. Chaumuhan

B: Tehsil: Mathura
4. Goverdhan
5. Mathura
6. Farah
7. Baldeo

C: Tehsil: Mant
8. Mant
9. Naujhil
10. Raya

Mathura is located at 27.5° N 77.68° E. It has an average elevation of 174 metres (570 feet.