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The earliest known shrine in Vrindavan is said to have been built by the local gosains in a large garden called Nidhiban, later named Seva Kunj. Nidhiban is where the divine couple performed the rasa. According to tradition, Emperor Akbar was taken blindfolded inside the grove where he had some kind of a spiritual experience. The four temples, which were built in honor of his visit, are Govind Deva, Madan Mohan, Gopinath and Jugal Kishore.

At Nikunja Van, there is a beautiful room decorated with glass paintings called Rangmahal. The riverfront has a succession of ghats that cover a distance of 2.4 km. At one end is Kaliya Mardan Ghat with a kadamb (Anthocephalus indicus) tree from which Krishna is said to have plunged into the water to demolish the serpent Kaliya. The Madan Mohan Temple stands on a high cliff near the Kalia Mardan Ghat. Another important temple is that of Radha Ballabh built by Sundar Das in 1626.

The temple of Krishna Chandra, also known as Lala Babu temple, was built by one Krishna Chandra Sen of Bengal. The Ranganath temple was founded by the Lakshmi Chand brothers. The temple of Radha Manohar was built by Ram Narayan Singh of Bikaner on the site of an older shrine where Mirabai is said to have worshipped. The temple of Radha Gopal was built in 1860 by the Maharaja of Gwalior and the temple of Radha Indra Kishore by Hetram, a zamindar (landowner) from Bihar. It has a copper shikhara (temple top). The temple of Radha Raman, commonly known as Shahji Ka Mandir, was built by Shah Kundal Lal, a resident of Lucknow. It is made of white marble with a colonnade of spiral marble pillars flanking the front. The Bankey Bihari Temple was constructed by Swami Hari Das.

Of the two tanks that are considered sacred, one is the Brahma Kund, now in ruins. The other is Govind Kund near the Mathura Road, which was originally a natural pond but was later enclosed with masonry walls and flights of steps. A third masonry tank lies in the grove known as Kewarban adjacent to the Madan Mohan Temple.

Among the modern constructions, there is the 10-storied Pagal Baba and the Gita Mandir. The latter has beautiful paintings and carvings. The entire Bhagwad Gita is inscribed on a pillar called the Bhagwad Stambh. The International Society of Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) has its the Krishna Balaram Temple, built in white marble and is dedicated to their founder Swami Prabhupada.

FAIRS & FESTIVALS

According to the lunar calendar, Hinduism celebrates Krishna's birthday as Janmashtami on the eighth day of Amavasya (the darker half of the month) in July/August. For Mathura, Janmashtami is the biggest festival held on a grand scale. Plays based on the life of Krishna are staged. Devotional songs blare from loudspeakers. As the hour of Krishna's birth approaches, the atmosphere becomes charged with frenzied dancing and singing in the temples. Brajyatra, which commences a day after Janmashtami and lasts for 50 days, deserves special mention. During the yatra (pilgrimage), devotees observe 30 rules. They have to walk barefoot, sleep on the floor, abstain from sex, intoxicants, greed and anger, have ritual baths and listen to Krishna's exploits. They sing devotional songs and visit the tirthas (there are 2,500 tirthas within Mathura itself!).

HOW TO REACH

BY AIR - The nearest airport is at Kheria in Agra, 62 km from Mathura.

BY RAIL - There are a number of tourist coaches from Delhi leaving for Mathura and Vrindavan everyday. Mathura is 57 km from Agra and 141 km from Delhi. It is an important railway junction with direct trains to many places. The Taj Express from Delhi is a good option.

BY ROAD - Mathura is well connected by road to Delhi and other cities of Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Haryana.