Mathura

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Mathura

City

Clockwise from top : Mathura Museum, Radha Rani

Temple in Barsana, Vishram Ghat on banks of river Yamuna, one of the many
Ancient Temple in Mathura, Sri Rangaaji Temple, Old street in front of the
Krishna Mandir and Jai Gurudev Temple

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Nickname(s):
Krishnanagri; The City of Lord Krishna

Mathura

Coordinates: 27°29′33″N 77°40′25″ECoordinates: 27°29′33″N 77°40′25″E

Country India

State Uttar Pradesh

District Mathura

Government

• Type Municipal Corporation

• Body Mathura-Vrindavan Municipal Corporation

• Mayor[1] Mukesh Aryabandhu (BJP)

• District Magistrate and Collector Navneet Chahal, IAS[2]

• Senior Superintendent of Police Gaurav Grover IPS[3]

• Member of Legislative Assembly Shrikant Sharma (BJP)

• Member of Parliament Hema Malini (BJP)

Area

• Total 39 km2 (15 sq mi)

Population
(2011)

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• Total 441,894

• Density 11,000/km2 (29,000/sq mi)

Language

• Official Hindi

• Regional Braj Bhasha

Time zone UTC+5:30 (IST)

PIN 281001

Telephone code 0565

Vehicle registration UP-85

Website mathura.nic.in

Pilgrimage to

Buddha's Holy Sites

The Four Main Sites

Bodh Gaya
Kushinagar
Lumbini
Sarnath

Four Additional Sites

Rajgir
Sankissa
Shravasti
Vaishali

Other Sites

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 Amaravati
Chandavaram
Devdaha

Gaya
Kapilavastu
Kesaria

Kosambi
Nalanda
Pataliputra

Pava
Varanasi

Later Sites

Ajanta Caves
Barabar Caves
Bharhut

Ellora Caves
Lalitgiri
Mathura

Nasik Caves
Piprahwa
Pushpagiri

Ratnagiri
Sanchi
Udayagiri
Vikramashila

Mathura ( pronunciation (help·info)) is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura

district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is located approximately 57.6 kilometres (35.8 mi) north
of Agra, and 166 kilometres (103 mi) south-east of Delhi; about 14.5 kilometres (9.0 mi) from the town
of Vrindavan, and 22 kilometres (14 mi) from Govardhan. In ancient times, Mathura was
an economic hub, located at the junction of important caravan routes. The 2011 Census of
India estimated the population of Mathura at 441,894.

In Hinduism, Mathura is birthplace of Krishna, which is located at the Krishna Janmasthan Temple
Complex.[6] It is one of the Sapta Puri, the seven cities considered holy by Hindus. The Kesava Deo
Temple was built in ancient times on the site of Krishna's birthplace (an underground prison). Mathura
was the capital of the kingdom of Surasena, ruled by Kansa, the maternal uncle of
Krishna. Janmashtami is grandly celebrated in Mathura every year.

Mathura has been chosen as one of the heritage cities for the Heritage City Development and
Augmentation Yojana scheme of Government of India.[7] Actress turned political leader, Hema
Malini is the sitting MP of holy constituency Mathura in Uttar Pradesh.[8]

History[edit]
See also: Mathura art

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Mathura, which lies at the centre of the cultural region of Braj[9] has
an ancient history and is also believed to be the homeland and
birthplace of Krishna, who belonged to the Yadu dynasty. According
to the Archaeological Survey of India plaque at the Mathura
Museum,[10] the city is mentioned in the oldest Indian epic,
the Ramayana. In the epic, the Ikshwaku prince Shatrughna slays a
demon called Lavanasura and claims the land. Afterwards, the place
came to be known as Madhuvan as it was thickly wooded, then
Madhupura and later Mathura.[11] The most important pilgrimage Along the Ghats of Mathura (circa
site in Mathura was Katra ('market place'), now referred to 1880)
as Krishna Janmasthan ('the birthplace of Krishna'). Excavations at
the site revealed pottery and terracotta dating to the sixth century
BCE, the remains of a large Buddhist complex, including a
monastery called Yasha Vihara of the Gupta period, as well
as Jain sculptures of the same era.[12][13]

General view of the excavations in

January 1889 at Kankali Tila,
Mathura

Gate of Shet
Lukhmeechund's Temple,
a photo by Eugene
Clutterbuck Impey, 1860s.

Statue of Kanishka I, 2nd

century CE, Mathura

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 Museum.

Sculpture of woman from

ancient Braj-Mathura ca.
2nd century CE.

Ancient history[edit]
Archaeological excavations at Mathura show the gradual growth of a village into an important city
during the Vedic age. The earliest period belonged to the Painted Grey Ware culture (1100–500 BCE),
followed by the Northern Black Polished Ware culture (700–200 BCE). Mathura derived its importance
as a center of trade due to its location where the northern trade route of the Indo-Gangetic Plain met
with the routes to Malwa (central India) and the west coast.[14] Archaeologists have discovered a
fragment of Mathura red sandstone from Rakhigarhi - a site of Indus Valley civilization dated to 3rd
millennium BCE - which was used as a grindstone; red sandstone was also a popular material
for historic period sculptures.[15]

By the 6th century BCE Mathura became the capital of the Surasena Kingdom.[16] The city was later
ruled by the Maurya empire (4th to 2nd centuries BCE). Megasthenes, writing in the early 3rd century
BCE, mentions Mathura as a great city under the name Μέθορα (Méthora).[17] It seems it never was
under the direct control of the following Shunga dynasty (2nd century BCE) as not a single
archaeological remain of a Shunga presence were ever found in Mathura.[18]

The Indo-Greeks may have taken control, direct or indirect, of Mathura some time between 180 BCE
and 100 BCE, and remained so as late as 70 BCE according to the Yavanarajya inscription,[18] which
was found in Maghera, a town 17 kilometres (11 mi) from Mathura.[19] The opening of the 3 line text of
this inscription in Brahmi script translates as: "In the 116th year of the Yavana kingdom..."[20][21] or '"In
the 116th year of Yavana hegemony" ("Yavanarajya")[18] However, this also corresponds to the
presence of the native Mitra dynasty of local rulers in Mathura, in approximately the same time frame
(150 BCE—50 BCE), possibly pointing to a vassalage relationship with the Indo-Greeks.[18]

Indo-Scythians[edit]

After a period of local rule, Mathura was conquered by the Indo-Scythians during the 1st century BCE.
The Indo-Scythian satraps of Mathura are sometimes called the "Northern Satraps", as opposed to the
"Western Satraps" ruling in Gujarat and Malwa. However, Indo-Scythian control proved to be short
lived, following the reign of the Indo-Scythian Mahakshatrapa ("Great Satrap") Rajuvula, c. (circa) 10–
25 CE. The Mora Well inscription of Mahakshatrapa Rajuvula, of the early decades of the first century

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CE, found in a village seven miles from Mathura, stated that images pratima(h) of the blessed
(bhagavatam) five Vrishni heroes, were installed in a stone shrine of a person called Tosa.[22] The
heroes were identified from a passage in the Vayu Purana as Samkarsana, Vasudev, Pradyumna,
Samba, and Aniruddha.[23] The English translation of the inscription read:-

. . . of the son of mahaksatrapa

̣ Rāṃjūvula, svāmi . . . The images of the holy paṃcavīras of the Vrṣ ṇ ̣is is...
the stone shrine... whom the magnificent matchless stone house of Tosạ̄ was erected and maintained... five
objects of adoration made of stone, radiant, as it were with highest beauty...[24]

The Mathura inscription of the time of Mahakshatrapa Rajuvula's son, Mahakshatrapa Sodasa recorded
erection of a torana (gateway), vedika (terrace) and chatuhsala (quadrangle) at the Mahasthana (great
place) of Bhagavat Vasudeva.[25] Several male torsos representing the Vrisni heroes were also found in a
shrine in Mora dating to the time of Mahakshatrapa Sodasa.[22]

Kushan Empire[edit]

During the rule of the great Kushanas, art and culture flourished in the region and reached new heights
and is now famously known as the Mathura School of Art. The Kushans took control of Mathura some
time after Mahakshatrapa Sodasa, although several of his successors ruled as Kushans vassals, such as
the Indo-Scythian "Great Satrap" Kharapallana and the "Satrap" Vanaspara, both of whom paid
allegiance to the Kushans in an inscription at Sarnath, dating to the 3rd year of the reign of the Kushan
emperor Kanishka the Great c. (circa) 130 CE.[26] Mathuran art and culture reached its zenith under
the Kushan dynasty which had Mathura as one of its capitals.[27] The preceding capitals of the Kushans
included Kapisa (modern Bagram, Afghanistan), Purushapura (modern Peshawar, Pakistan)
and Takshasila/Sirsukh/ (modern Taxila, Pakistan). Mathura ateliers were most active during the
epoch of the great Kushan emperors Kanishka, Huvishka, Vasudeva whose reign represents the Golden
Age [28] During 3rd century Nagas ruled Mathura after decline of Kushan Empire.
[29] of Mathura sculpture.

Gupta Empire[edit]

In the reign of Chandragupta Vikramaditya, a magnificent temple of Vishnu was built at the site of
Katra Keshavadeva.[28] Kalidasa, hailed as the greatest poet and dramatist in Sanskrit, in the fourth-
fifth century CE mentioned the groves of Vrindavan and Govardhan hill as:

"...the king of Mathura, whose fame was acknowledged in song even by the devatas... At that moment,
though still in Mathura, it appears as if Ganga has merged with Yamuna at the Sangam... In a Vrindavan
garden which is superior even to Kubera's garden, known as Chaitra-ratha... You can, as well, during rains,
look at the dancing peacocks, while sitting in a pleasant cave of the Goverdhan Mountain"[30]

Chinese Buddhist Monk Faxian mentions the city as a centre of Buddhism about 400 CE. He found the
people were very well off, there were no taxes other than for those on farmers who tilled the royal land.
He found that people did not kill animals, no one consumed wine, and did not eat onion or garlic. He
found that engraved title deeds were issued to land owners. Visiting priests were provided with
accommodation, beds, mats, food, drinks and clothes to perform scholarly works.[31]

Harsha Empire[edit]

Xuanzang, who visited the city in 634 CE, mentions it as Mot'ulo, recording that it contained twenty
Buddhist monasteries and five Hindu temples.[32] Later, he went east to Thanesar, Jalandhar in the
eastern Punjab, before climbing up to visit predominantly Theravada monasteries in the Kulu
valley and turning southward again to Bairat and then Mathura, on the Yamuna river.[33]

Medieval History and Islamic Invasions[edit]

Early Middle Ages[edit]

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The famous female Alvar saint, Andal visualized going to a pilgrimage which began at Mathura, then
proceeded to Gokul, the Yamuna, the pool of Kaliya, Vrindavan, Govardhan, and finished at Dwarka.
[34] The eleventh century Kashmiri poet, Bilhana visited Mathura and Vrindavan after leaving Kashmir

en route to Karnataka.[35]

High Middle Ages[edit]

The city was sacked and many of its temples destroyed by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1018 CE.[32] The
capture of Mathura by Mah ̣mūd Ibn Sebüktegīn is described by the historian al-Utbi (Abu Nasr
Muhammad ibn Muhammad al Jabbaru-l 'Utbi) in his work Tarikh Yamini as follows:

The wall of the city was constructed of hard stone, and two gates opened upon the river flowing under the
city, which were erected upon strong and lofty foundations, to protect them against the floods of the river
and rains. On both sides of the city there were a thousand houses, to which idol temples were attached, all
strengthened from top to bottom by rivets of iron, and all made of masonry work; and opposite to them
were other buildings, supported on broad wooden pillars, to give them strength.

In the middle of the city there was a temple larger and firmer than the rest, which can neither be described
nor painted. The Sultan thus wrote respecting it :— “ If any should wish to construct a building equal to
this, he would not be able to do it without expending an hundred thousand thousand red dinars, and it
would occupy two hundred years, even though the most experienced and able workmen were employed.”
Among the idols there were five made of red gold, each five yards high, fixed in the air without support. In
the eyes of one of these idols there were two rubies, of such value, that if any one were to sell such as are
like them, he would obtain fifty thousand dinars. On another, there was a sapphire purer than water, and
more sparkling than crystal; the weight was four hundred and fifty miskals. The two feet of another idol
weighed four thousand four hundred miskals, and the entire quantity of gold yielded by the bodies of these
idols, was ninety-eight thousand three hundred miskals. The idols of silver amounted to two hundred, but
they could not be weighed without breaking them to pieces and putting them into scales. The Sultan gave
orders that all the temples should be burnt with naphtha and fire, and levelled with the ground.[36]

The temple at Katra was sacked by Mah ̣mūd Ibn Sebüktegīn. A temple was built to replace it in 1150 CE.
The Mathura prasasti (Eulogistic Inscription) dated Samvat (V.S.) 1207 (1150 CE), said to have been
found in 1889 CE at the Keshava mound by Anton Fuhrer, German Indologist who worked with the
Archaeological Survey of India, recorded the foundations of a temple dedicated to Vishnu at the Katra
site:

Jajja, who carried the burden of the varga, together with a committee of trustees (goshtijana), built a large
temple of Vishnu, brilliantly white and touching the clouds.

Jajja was a vassal of the Gahadavalas in charge of Mathura, and the committee mentioned in
the prasasti could have been of an earlier Vaishnava temple.[37] The temple built by Jajja at Katra was
destroyed by the forces of Qutubuddin Aibak, though Feroz Tughlaq (r. 1351–88 CE) was also said to
have attacked it.[38] It was repaired and survived till the reign of Sikandar Lodi (r. 1489–1517 CE).

In the twelfth century, Bhatta Lakshmidhara, chief minister of the Gahadavala king Govindachandra (r.
1114–1155 CE), wrote the earliest surviving collection of verses in praise of the sacred sites of Mathura
in his work Krtyakalpataru, which has been described as "the first re-statement of the theory of Tirtha-
yatra (pilgrimage)".[39] In his Krtyakalpataru, Bhatta Lakshmidhara devoted an entire section (9) to
Mathura.[40]

Later on the city was sacked again by Sikandar Lodi, who ruled the Sultanate of Delhi from 1489 to 1517
CE.[41][42] Sikandar Lodi earned the epithet of 'Butt Shikan', the 'Destroyer of Idols'. Ferishta recorded
that Sikandar Lodi was a staunch Muslim, with a passion for vandalizing heathen temples:

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 He was firmly attached to the Mahomedan religion, and made a point of destroying all Hindu temples. In
the city of Mathura he caused masjids and bazaars to be built opposite the bathing-stairs leading to the
river, and ordered that no Hindus should be allowed to bathe there. He forbade the barbers to shave the
beards and heads of the inhabitants, in order to prevent the Hindus following their usual practices at such
pilgrimages.[43]

In Tarikh-i Daudi, of 'Abdu-lla (written during the time of Jahangir) said of Sikandar Lodi:

He was so zealous a Musulman that he utterly destroyed divers places of worship of the infidels, and left
not a vestige remaining of them. He entirely ruined the shrines of Mathura, the mine of heathenism, and
turned their principal Hindu places of worship into caravanserais and colleges. Their stone images were
given to the butchers to serve them as meat-weights, and all the Hindus in Mathura were strictly prohibited
from shaving their heads and beards, and performing their ablutions. He thus put an end to all the
idolatrous rites of the infidels there; and no Hindu, if he wished to have his head or beard shaved, could get
a barber to do it. Every city thus conformed as he desired to the customs of Islam.[44]

Vallabhacharya and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu arrived in the Braj region, in search of sacred places that
had been destroyed or lost. In Shrikrsnashrayah, that make up the Sodashagrantha, Vallabha said of
his age:

The Malechchhas (non-Hindus in this context) have surrounded all the holy places with the result that they
have become infected with evil. Besides, the holy people are full of sorrow. At such a time Krishna alone is
my way.[45]

Late Middle Ages[edit]

The Portuguese, Father Antonio Monserrate (1536 CE-1600 CE), who was on a Jesuit mission at the
Mughal Court during the times of Akbar, visited Mathura in 1580–82, and noted that all temples built
at sites associated with the deeds of Krishna were in ruins:-

It (Mathura) used to be a great and well populated city, with splendid buildings and a great circuit of walls.
The ruins plainly indicate how imposing its buildings were. For out of these forgotten ruins are dug up
columns and very ancient statues, of skilful and cunning workmanship. Only one Hindu temple is left out
of many; for the Musalmans have completely destroyed all except the pyramids. Huge crowds of pilgrims
come from all over India to this temple, which is situated on the high bank of the Jomanis (Yamuna)...[46]

The Keshavadeva temple was rebuilt by the Bundela Rajah Vir Singh Deo at a cost of thirty-three lakh
rupees when the gold was priced at around ₹ 10/- per tola.[47] And the grand structure of the temple in
Mathura was regarded a "wonder of the age".[48]

The Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, built the Shahi-Eidgah Mosque during his rule, which is adjacent
to Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi believed to be over a Hindu temple.[49] He also changed the city's name
to Islamabad.[50] In 1669, Aurangzeb issued a general order for the demolition of Hindu schools and
temples, in 1670, specifically ordered the destruction of the Keshavadeva temple. Saqi Mustaid Khan
recorded:

On Thursday, 27th January/15 Ramzan (27 January 1670)... the Emperor as the promoter of justice and
overthrower of mischief, as a knower of truth and destroyer of oppression as the zephyr of the garden of
victory and the reviver of the faith of the Prophet, issued orders for the demolition of the temple situated in
Mathura, famous as the Dehra of Kesho Rai. In a short time by the great exertions of his officers, the
destruction of this strong foundation of infidelity was accomplished and on its site a lofty mosque was built
by the expenditure of a large sum... Praised be the august God of the faith of Islam, that in the auspicious
reign of this destroyer of infidelity and turbulence, such a wonderful and seemingly impossible work was
successfully accomplished.

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 On seeing this instance of the strength of the emperor's faith and the grandeur of his devotion to God, the
proud Rajas were stifled, and in amazement they stood like images facing the wall. The idols, large and
small, set with costly jewels, which had been set up in the temple, were brought to Agra, and buried under
the step of the mosque of the Begum Shahib in order to be continously trodden upon. The name of Mathura
was changed to Islamabad.[51]

The Muslim conquest resulted in the destruction of all Buddhist, Jain, and Hindu temples and
monuments in and around Mathura. Buddhism, already in decline, never revived, and for the next four
hundred years the Jains and Hindus were unable to erect any temples that were not sooner or later
demolished.[52] Many of the sites that had been places of religious importance were abandoned and
gradually sank beneath the earth. But some of them were not forgotten, owing to the persistence of oral
tradition, the refashioning of a temple into a mosque, or the presence of humble shrines, some of which
housed sculptural fragments of earlier buildings. Several of them have survived as places of significance
in the modern pilgrimage circuit.[52]

The rebellion in Mathurá district seems to have gained ground. “ On the 14th Rajab, 1080, [28th
November, 1669], his Majesty left Dihlí for Akbarábád, and almost daily enjoyed the pleasures of the
chase. On the 21st Rajab, whilst hunting, he received the report of a rebellion having broken out at
Mauza' Rewarah, Chandarkah, and Surkhrú. Hasan 'Ali Khán was ordered to attack the rebels at
night, which he did, and the firing lasted till 12 o'clock the next day. The rebels, unable longer to
withstand, thinking of the honour of their families, now fought with short arms, and many imperial
soldiers and companions of Hasan ’Alí were killed. Three hundred rebels were sent to perdition, and
two hundred and fifty, men and women, caught. Hasan ’Alí, in the afternoon, reported personally the
result of the fight, and was ordered to leave the prisoners and the cattle in charge of Sayyid Zain ul-
'Abidin, the jágirdár of the place. Çaf Shikan Khán also (who after ’Abdunnabí's death had been
appointed Faujdár of Mathura) waited on the emperor, and was ordered to tell off two hundred
troopers to guard the fields attached to the villages, and prevent soldiers from plundering and
kidnapping children. Námdár Khán, Faujdár of Murádábád, also came to pay his respects. Çafshikan
Khán was removed from his office, and Hasan 'Ali Khán was appointed Faujdár of Mathura, with a
command of Three Thousand and Five Hundred, 2000 troopers, and received a dress of honour, a
sword, and a horse. * * * On the 18th Sha'bán [1st January, 1670), his Majesty entered Agrah. Kokilá
Ját, the wicked ringleader of the rebels of District*......, who had been the cause of ’Abdunnabí's death
and who had plundered Parganah Sa'dábád, was at last caught by Hasan ’Alí Khán and his zealous
peshkár, Shaikh Razíuddin, and he was now sent with the Shaikh to Agrah, where by order of his
Majesty he was executed. Kokila's son and daughter were given to Jawahir Khán Nazir [a eunuch].
The girl was later married to Shah Quli, the well-known Chelah; and his son, who was called Fázil,
became in time so excellent a Hafiz [one who knows the Qorán by heart], that his Majesty preferred
him to all others and even chaunted passages to him. Shaikh Razíuddin, who had captured Kokila,
belonged to a respectable family in Bhagalpur, Bihár, and was an excellent soldier, administrator,
and companion; he was at the same time so learned, that he was ordered to assist in the compilation
of the Fatáwá i 'Alamgiri [the great code of Muhammadan laws]. He received a daily allowance of
three rupees.”+ (Haásir i ’Alamgiri, pp. 92 to 91.) Hasan ’Alí Khán retained his office from 1080 to
Sha'bán 1087 (October, 1676), when Sulțán Qulí Khán was appointed Faujdír of Mathurá., Asiatic
Society of Bengal, Proceedings[53]

Early Modern History[edit]

According the biographer of Raja Jai Singh, Atmaram, when Jai Singh was campaigning against the Jat
Raja Churaman Singh, he bathed at Radha kund on the full moon of Kartik, went to Mathura in the
month of Shravan in 1724, and performed the marriage of his daughter on Janmashtami. He then
undertook a tour of the sacred forests of Braj, and, on his return to Mathura, founded religious
establishments and celebrated Holi.[54]

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Pilgrimage by the Family of Peshwa of Maratha Empire[edit]

During the period of the expansion of Maratha Empire, pilgrimage to the holy places in the north
became quite frequent. Pilgrims required protection on the way and took advantage of the constant
movement of troops that journeyed to and back from their homeland for military purposes. That is how
the practice arose of ladies accompanying military expeditions. The mother of Peshwa Balaji Baji
Rao, Kashitai performed her famous pilgrimage for four years in the north, visiting
Mathura, Prayag, Ayodhya, Banaras, and other holy places.[55]

Religious heritage[edit]
Mathura is a holy city for Hinduism and is considered the heart
of Brij Bhoomi, the land of Krishna.[56][57] The twin-city to Mathura
is Vrindavan.

There are many places of historic and religious importance in

Mathura and its neighbouring towns.[7]

Krishna Janmasthan Temple Complex is an important group of

temples built around what is considered to be the birthplace
of Krishna.[58][59] The temple complex contains Keshav Deva temple,
Garbha Griha shrine, Bhagavata Bhavan and the Rangabhoomi
where the final battle between Krishna and Kans took place.[60][6][10]
[58]
Entrance to the Shri Krishna
Janmabhoomi temple complex.
Banke Bihari temple

The Dwarkadheesh Temple is one of the largest temples in Mathura.[6] Vishram Ghat at the bank of
river Yamuna is said to be the place were Krishna had rested after killing Kans.[6]

Other notable Hindu religious sites and heritage locations includes the Gita Mandir,[61] Govind Dev
temple,[61] Iskcon temple,[6] Kusum Sarovar,[61] Naam yog Sadhna Mandir, Peepleshwar Mahadeo
Temple[62][63] and Yum Yamuna Temple[62]

Kankali Tila brought forth many treasures of Jain art. The archaeological findings testifies the existence
of two Jain temples and stupas. Numerous Jain sculptures, Ayagapattas (tablet of homage),[64] pillars,
crossbeams and lintels were found during archaeological excavations. Some of the sculptures are
provided with inscriptions that report on the contemporary society and organization of the Jain
community.

Most sculptures could be dated from the 2nd century BC to the 12th century CE, thus representing a
continuous period of about 14 centuries during which Jainism flourished at Mathura. These sculptures
are now housed in the Lucknow State Museum and in the Mathura Museum.

Jama Mosque, Mathura is a notable site for Islam. It was completed by Abd-un-Nabi, governor
of Aurangzeb in 1662.

The Mathura Museum is notable for archaeological artefacts, especially those from
the Kushan and Gupta empires. It has sculptures associated with Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.[10]
[65]

Festivals[edit]
Main article: Krishna Janmashtami
Janmashtami is grandly celebrated every year in Mathura. Every year 3 to 3.5 million devotees
celebrate Janmashtami in Mathura, with the most people in Keshav Deva temple and Dwarkadheesh
temple.[66][67] People generally observe a fast and break it at midnight when Krishna was believed to

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have been born. Devotional songs, dance performances, bhog and aartis are observed across Mathura-
Vrindavan.[68]

Geography[edit]
Mathura is located at 27.28°N 77.41°E.[69] It has an average elevation of 174 metres (570 feet).

Climate[edit]

hideClimate data for Mathura (1981–2010, extremes 1974–1995)

Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year

Record high °C 47.6

(°F) (117.7)

Average high °C 32.1

(°F) (89.8)

Average low °C 17.3

(°F) (63.1)

Record low °C 0.5

(°F) (32.9)

Average rainfall 600.1

mm (inches) (23.63)

Average rainy 0.9 1.3 1.0 0.9 1.5 3.0 9.0 9.1 4.9 0.9 0.3 1.1 33.9
days

Average relative 65 59 53 48 39 43 67 72 71 63 56 60 58
humidity (%) (at
17:30 IST)

Source: India Meteorological Department[70][71]

Demographics[edit]

Religions in Mathura City

Religion Percent

Hindus 81.54%

Muslim 17.22%

Others† 1.24%

The 2011 census of India estimates the population of Mathura to be 441,894, a decadal growth rate of
22.53 per cent from 2001 census of India. Males account for 54% (268,445) and females for 46%
(173,449) of this population. Sex ratio of Mathura is 858 females per 1000 males, which has increased
from 840 in 2001. However, national sex ratio is 940. Population density in 2011 has increased from
621 per km2 in 2001 to 761 per km2. Mathura has an average literacy rate of 72.65 per cent which has
increased from 61.46 percent in 2001 but still lower than the national average of 74.04 per cent. Male
and female literacy rate are 84.39 and 58.93 per cent respectively. 15.61 percent of Mathura's
population is under 6 years of age. This figure was 19.56 per cent in 2001 census.[72]

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Languages[edit]
According to the 2011 census on Mathura NPP, 95.4% of the people identified as Hindi speakers, 2.6%
as Urdu speakers and 1.4% as speakers of Brajbhasha,[73] the locally spoken language.[9] The city also
lies within the cultural region of Braj.[9]

Transportation[edit]

Rail[edit]
Mathura Junction railway station is situated on the major Delhi-Mumbai train route. Both Central
Railway and Western Railway routes pass through Mathura. Trains from NCR (north-central railway)
to ER (eastern railway) also pass from the Mathura junction railway station. Mathura Cantt railway
station is a major route for an eastern and central railway.

Important train that origin/terminate from Mathura: 12177/Howrah – Mathura Chambal Express.[74]

Road[edit]
Mathura is connected by road to the rest of Uttar Pradesh and India. NH-19 (NH-2 as per old
numbering system) which is having connectivity from Delhi to Kolkata and diversion for Chennai also
passes from Mathura. Yamuna expressway Greater-Noida to Agra(165 km 6 lane access controlled
express highway) also passes from here so there is connectivity to Noida and Agra and Lucknow.

Tram[edit]
A tram network has been proposed in the city, which would make Mathura only the second city in India
(after Kolkata) to get tram transport. In 2017, the local MLA Shrikant Sharma announced that the
trams will be operational in Mathura and Vrindavan by 2018.[75]

Air[edit]
Currently the city has no airport, nearest airport is Agra (about 60 km away) and Delhi Airport (about
160 km away) with major national and international air routes. Under-construction Jewar
Airport in Greater Noida will be approximately 75 km away from Mathura and is expected to be
country's largest airport when fully operational. Land has been earmarked, and construction is in
progress near the Yamuna Expressway, with plans to open in the next five years with regular flights to
major national and international air routes in future.[76][77][78]

Then civil aviation minister Ajit Singh suggested Mathura's name for the site of a new greenfield
international airport to the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh Akhilesh Yadav in 2012. Mathura's name
came into play when group of ministers terminated the planning of building Taj International
Airport at Agra.[79]

Strategic importance[edit]
Mathura is the home for I Corps (Strike Formation)[80][81] within the Indian Army's Central Command,
hosting Strike I Corps headquarters in a large classified area in the outskirts of the city known as
Mathura Cantonment (Central Command itself has its headquarters at Lucknow). It hosts Strike
Infantry units, air defence units, armoured divisions, engineer brigades, artillery Units, and classified
units of Strategic Forces Command. The I Corps is primarily responsible for the western borders of
India. In 2007 during Exercise Ashwamedha, all the armoured, artillery, and infantry divisions
performed a simulation of an overall NBC (nuclear-chemical-biological) environment. The aim was to
show operational ability in high intensity, short duration and 'sudden' battles.[82]

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Industries[edit]
Mathura Refinery located in the city is one of the biggest oil refineries of Asia with
8.0 million tonnes per year refining capacity.[83] This oil refinery of the Indian Oil Corporation is a
highly technologically advanced oil refinery and provides local employment opportunities.[83] The
refinery had undertaken projects to upgrade its diesel and gasoline units for bringing down Sulphur
level by nearly 80 percent[84]

Taj Mahal

Today generation

Mahatma Gandhi

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