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'Mathura' (Hindi: मथुरा) is a holy city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It was also spelt as Muttra during British Period. It is located approximately 50 km north of Agra, and 150 km south of Delhi. It is the administrative centre of Mathura District of Uttar Pradesh. During the ancient period, this was an economic hub, located at the junction of some relatively important caravan routes.
Mathura is reputed to be the birthplace of Krishna, Krishnajanmabhoomi. The Keshav Dev temple was built in ancient times on the site of Krishna's legendary birthplace (an underground prison). As per epic Mahabharata, Mathura was the capital of the Surasena Kingdom, ruled by Kansa the maternal uncle of Krishna. The city is mentioned in the Sherlock Holmes story 'The Sign of Four.'^[1].

Contents

History

Geography

Tourism

Major tourist sites in Mathura

Educational Institutions

Places of interest around Mathura

Strategic Importance

Industries

Art of Mathura

Demographics

References

External links

History

In the 6th century BC Mathura became the capital of the Shursen republic. The city was later ruled by the Maurya empire (4th to 2nd centuries BC) and the Sunga dynasty (2nd century BC). It may have come under control of the Indo-Greeks some time between 180 BC and 100 BC. However, it would then have briefly reverted to Indian rule before being occupied by the Indo-Scythians during the 1st century BC. Archaeological evidence seems to indicate that, by 100 BC, there was a group of Jains living in Mathura [''Bowker''].
Megasthenes, writing in the early 3rd century BC, mentions Mathura as a great city under the name Μέθορα (''Méthora'').^[2]
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. In 634 Xuanzang had visited the Mathura town. He went east to Jalandhar in 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.
The city was sacked and many of its temples destroyed by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1018. The Keshav Dev temple was partially destroyed by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, who built the city's ''Jami Masjid'' (Friday mosque) on the same site, re-using many of the temple's stones. The main Krishna shrine is presently the Dwarkadeesh temple, built in 1815 by Seth Gokuldas Parikh, Treasurer of Gwalior.

Geography

'Location:'
City of Lord Krishna, Mathura (27.28 N, 77.41 E) is district headquarter of Uttar Pradesh state of India. Mathura is located 145 km south to national capital ‘New Delhi’ and 50 km north to City of Taj Mahal, Agra. District Aligarh is in east and District Bharatpur of Rajasthan is in west.
'Area:'
Geographical Area: 3329.4 km²
'Admnistration:'

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


'A:' Tehsil: Chatta

1. Nandgaon

2. Chhata

3. Chaumuha


'B:' Tehsil: Mathura

4. Goverdhan

5. Mathura

6. Farah

7. Baldeo


'C:' Tehsil: Mant

8. Mant

9. Naujhil

10. Raya


Mathura is located at ^[3]. It has an average elevation of 174 metres (570 feet).

Tourism

Tourism is still in a development stage in the city. There are quite a few places to visit in Mathura and its surroundings, most of them linked to the Hindu mythology. Major places are listed here:
For more information visit the following website.
http://www.up-tourism.com/destination/braj/braj_bhoomi.htm

Major tourist sites in Mathura

★ Krishnajanmabhoomi

★ Dwarikadheesh Temple

★ Kans Kila

★ Vishram Ghat (a bath and worship place on the banks of river Yamuna)

Educational Institutions

Home to the Uttar Pradesh Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Veterinary University (Uttar Pradesh Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Pashu Chikitsa Vigyan Vishwavidyalaya Evam Go Anusandhan Sansthan). First of its kind in the State and fourth in the Country to be made independent veterinary University, UP Pt. DDUVU was established by Government of Uttar Pradesh vide U. P. Act. No. 27 of 2001 on 25.10.2001 with the College of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry, the erstwhile U.P. College of Veterinary Science & Animal Husbandry, Mathura as its main constituent College. The University is located on the Mathura-Agra road and is about 5 km from Mathura Junction railway station and 4 km from new bus stand. The main campus of the University is spread over a vast land area of 782.32 acres in Mathura Cantt and about at Madhurikund, about 20 km from the main campus.

Places of interest around Mathura

★ Barsana

★ Nandgaon

★ Gokul

★ Baldeo

★ Vrindavan

★ Goverdhan

★ RadhaKund

★ Mant

★ Bharatpur, Rajasthan

★ Agra

★ Alwar, Rajasthan

★ Deeg, Rajasthan

★ Bird Sanctury, Kitham, Agra

Strategic Importance

Mathura is the home for Indian I Corps (Strike Formation) ^{[4] [5]} 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, Aritillery Units and classified units of Strategic Nuclear Command. Corps I is primarily responsible for western borders of India. In 2007 during Exercise Ashwamedha, it had unleashed its armoured, artillery and infantry divisions in full flow to simulate operational ability of being prepared for high intensity, short duration and 'sudden' battles in an overall NBC (nuclear-chemical-biological) environment. ^[6]

Industries

Today Mathura is situated on very important Road and Train routes in India. The famous Delhi-Agra highway (NH-2, National Highway -2)crosses Mathura, providing the city great connectivity. Also, the city houses a fairly large and important train station, named Mathura Junction. The city is home to the Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Chennai train routes.
Mathura is home to a large, technologically-advanced oil refinery owned by the Indian Oil Corporation. This refinery is one of the largest oil refineries of Asia. On the industrial aspect, Mathura is home to a flourishing Silver polishing industry, textile printing industry involving in Sari-printing and Fabric dyeing. In addition to this, water tap factories are also flourishing in the area.
A very famous twin-city to Mathura is Vrindavan. The small town hosts a lot of temples belonging to various sects of Hinduism preaching Lord Krishna in various forms/avatars. Some of the most famous temples are Banke Bihari Temple, Rang ji Temple, Iskcon Temple.

Art of Mathura

Demographics

As of 2001 India census^[7], Mathura had a population of 298,827. Males constitute 53% of the population and females 47%. Mathura has an average literacy rate of 61%, higher than the national average of 59.5%: male literacy is 67%, and female literacy is 53%. In Mathura, 14% of the population is under 6 years of age.

References

1. Mathura and Vrindavan from Rumela's web
2. Megasthenes, fragment 23 "The Surasenians, an Indian tribe, with two great cities, Methora and Clisobora; the navigable river Iomanes flows through their territory" quoted in Arrian Indica 8.5. Also "The river Jomanes flows through the Palibothri into the Ganges between the towns Methora and Carisobora." in FRAGM. LVI. Plin. Hist. Nat. VI. 21. 8-23. 11.

3. Falling Rain Genomics, Inc - Mathura
4. http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/india/centcom.htm
5. http://www.bharat-rakshak.com/LAND-FORCES/Army/Organisation.html
6. Indian Army tests network centric warfare capability in Ashwamedh war games
7.

External links

★

★ Veterinary University

★ Entry on Mathura in the Dictionary on Pali Proper Names

★ Read details about Mathura

★ Mathura-The Cultural Heritage. Edited by Doris Meth Srinivasan, published in 1989 by AIIS/Manohar.

★ Bowker, John (2002). ''The Cambridge Illustrated History of Religions'', p.60.

★ Konow, Sten. Editor. 1929. ''Kharoshthī Inscriptions with Exception of those of Asoka''. Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, Vol. II, Part I. Reprint: Indological Book House, Varanasi, 1969.

★ Mukherjee, B. N. 1981. ''Mathurā and its Society: The Śaka-Pahlava Phase''. Firma K. L. M. Private Limited, Calcutta.

★ Sharma, R. C. 1976. ''Mathura Museum and Art''. 2nd revised and enlarged edition. Government Museum, Mathura.

★ Growse, F. S. 1882. " Mathura A District Memoir.

★ Drake-Brockman, D. L. 1911. " Muttra A Gaztteer.