The Hindu faithful and Lord Krishna devotees ensure to visit Mathura, Vrindavan, Gokul, and Govardhan at least once in a lifetime. Mathura, like Banaras, is an ancient stronghold of Hinduism, and at the time of the Muslim conquest was possibly the richest city in all India. The value of the idols alone, made of precious stones and metals, which Mahmud of Ghazni carried off when he laid waste the city in A.D. 1017 is computed at Rupees 40,000,000. The beauty of the temples he destroyed was such that he has put on record that had he not thought it his religious duty to destroy them, he would have gladly preserved them as a monument to the skill of the builders of Hindustan. A tourist gets ample opportunity to explore glorious past of Lord Krishna’s birthplace by opting for one of the customizable Mathura holiday packages.
Mathura pilgrimage tour involves visit to auspicious temples and holy dip into River Yamuna at preferred ghat. There are numerous temples of substantial antiquity but all of them suffered huge devastation by barbaric and religiously intolerant Islamic invaders and zealots. The existing temples at Mathura, like those of Varanasi, are of recent date. In one of these, Sri Rangji temple, managed by South Indian Brahmins, car processions are taken out as in South Indian temples on festivals sacred to Krishna. Bathing in the Yamuna is considered meritorious, and at Mathura, as at Banaras, there are several ghats for the pilgrims for ritual bathing.
Duration of Mathura tours varies as per the travellers interest and budget. Usually a pilgrimage to Mathura lasts for a month during which the pilgrim has to visit, in addition to the various temples and resident pontiffs of Vaishnava sects in the city, many outlying regions sacred to Krishna, like Vrindavan, the mountain Govardhan and the village of Barsana (about 48 kilometres or 30 miles from Mathura), sacred to Radha, Krishna’s favourite Gopi, who is the presiding goddess of the mystic Radha- Krishna cult. Nandgaon near Barsana is said to be the native village of Krishna. Mathura sightseeing tour involving visit to select temples, ghats and local market takes merely a single day. Mathura is located near Agra and is easily accessible from Delhi and Jaipur with excellent road and train connectivity. Overnight Mathura tour can be planned as the city is home to all kinds of accommodation options – budget to luxury.