An ancient city, Mathura derives its glory & sacred character from being the birth place of Lord Krishna. Through centuries, it has attracted pilgrims from the Hindu , Buddhist & Jaina fold. Formerly the capital of Braj ( 600 B.C.) Mathura is situated on the west bank of river Yamuna. The present day Mathura abounds in places of religious & historicinterest. All round the year, a large number of festivals & fairs are held in Mathura & the adjoining areas of Vrindavan, Gokul, Barsana & Goverdhan.

The town of Mathura (Brajbhoomi) is located in the western part of the state of Uttar Pradesh in the northern region of India. It is a part of the great northern plains and is situated on the western bank of the river Yamuna. It is famous as the birthplace of Lord Krishna, an important deity in the Hindu religious pantheon. It is an important pilgrim place of the Hindus and one of the seven most sacred cities in India. The main pilgrim centre in Mathura is the Shri Krishna Janmbhoomi temple. Mathura is also an important crafts centre. Mathura belongs to the Agra Sub circuit of the Golden Triangle of India i.e. Agra-Delhi-Jaipur circuit.

Temple Attractions
Mathura has a number of temples that are dedicated to the blue god, Krishna, the Dwarkadhish Shrine being the most outstanding of them all. Another important temple worth seeing is the Temple of Keshava. On the way to Vrindavan, one comes across another temple called the Gita Mandir.

Hindus celebrates Lord Krishna's birthday as Janmashtami on the eighth day of the darker half of the month in July/August. For Mathura, Janmashtami is the biggest festival and it is held on a grand scale. The Indian town of Mathura is easily accessible through air, road and rail from the other major Indian cities and states. touristplacesinindia can arrange for you all types of transport for your comfortable journey to and in Mathura and throughout the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh.

Festivals
Holi and Janamashtami are two festivals celebrated with great fervour in Mathura. Both these festivals are associated with Lord Krishna. Holi is celebrated in the temples before it is celebrated on the streets, as it is considered auspicious to play with the Lord, first.

This festival is preceded by performances that last well over a week. Artists from various parts of the country gather here to perform raas leela, or dance recitals depicting Krishna’s flirtatious interlude with the gopis, or the village maidens. Gayan mandalis, or singing troupes that render folk songs particularly associated with Holi, flock to this place. The artistic exuberance associated with the festival is termed as Rang Gulal.

Janamashtami is celebrated on the day when Krishna was born. Idols of Krishna and his childhood sweetheart, Radha, are decorated beautifully, then worshipped.

How to reach

• Air
  The nearest airport is at Delhi, 52 kilometers away.
• Rail
  The Mathura railway station is well connected to Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Lucknow and other major cities of I9ndia by a good railway network.
• Road
  Mathura, which lies on the National Highway number 2, is well linked with regular state bus services from Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Rajasthan and Haryana.