A long line of picturesque ghats - with their
steps leading to the water's edge, arched gateways and temple spires extending
along the right bank of the River Yamuna, emphasis the sacred character of the
town of Mathura. The birth place of Lord Krishna, "the best known, best
loved and most complex of Lord Vishnu's manifestations" - Mathura is today
an important place of pilgrimage. The city stretches along the right bank of
the Yamuna and the continuous line of ghats along the river makes a splendid
spectacle when viewed from the opposite bank.
Today, Mathura is a city of temples and 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, located on 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 of this 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 about 25 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 traditional parikrama (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, Chakratirtha Ghat,
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 - the Guptatirth 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 temples and 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, Shri Chaitanya, is also near by.
The aarti held at the Vishram Ghat each evening 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 to Mathura 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. There is the elegant shiv Tal, the more famous Potara Kund
associated closely with Lord Krishna besides the Balbhadra and Saraswati kunds.
The town has a number of Shaivite temples as well. The chief among them being
the Bhuteshwar Mahadev Temple to the west of the town, the Gokarneshwar Temple
in the north, the Rangeshwar. Mahadev Temple to the south and the Pipaleshwar
Mahadev Temple to the east.
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