Mathura - Places of Tourist Interest

Sri Krishna Janmabhumi – The birth place of Lord Krishna

Dwarkadheesh Temple – The main temple of the town, built in 1814, is decorated lavishly during the major Hindu festivals of Holi, Janamashtami, and Diwali.

Vishram Ghat          : It is widely believed to be the sacred spot where Lord Krishna rested after slaying the tyrant king Kansa, an extremely powerful man, who was also his maternal uncle.

Gita Mandir             : This temple is well known for the carvings and paintings on its walls, and is located on the outskirts of the city.

Govt. Museum           : The museum houses rare items from the Gupta and the Kushan period, and this huge collection is known to be one of the finest of its kind in India.

Govinda Dev Temple : This magnificent temple, displaying all the splendours of the architectural prowess of medieval India, was built by Raja Man singh of Jaipur in 1590. With the walls having an average thickness of 10 ft., the temple, which currently has only three stories, was originally a seven – storey high structure. The upper stories were destroyed during the reign of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb.

Shahji Temple    : This magnificent structure, famous all over for its splendid architecture and artwork, was constructed in the year 1860. The structure boasts of twelve single piece spiral columns, made up of marble, which are approximately 15 feet high. Another famous trait of this temple is the Basanti Kamra, which is situated in the eastern wing of this temple, and houses spectacular ancient chandeliers and rare paintings.

Rangji Temple : This temple was constructed in 1851, and is considered to be the longest temple of Vrindavan. The temple follows South Indian architectural pattern, with the only exception being the main gate, which follows the Rajput style. The outer wall measures 773 Ft. and the complex encompasses a water tank, a garden and, the actual temple. A prominent feature of the temple is the "Dhwaja Stambha", about 50 ft. tall, and believed to be gold plated.

Madan Mohan Temple : This temple is situated near the Kali ghat. The original Image of Madan Mohan (another name for Lord Krishna) was removed to Karauli during the reign of Aurangzeb .

Krishna Balram Mandir (Iskcon Vrindavan) : ISKCON is an International spiritual organisation with more than 400 centers around the world. Thousands of pilgrims and International tourists visit this centre at Vrindavan, which prides itself as a beautiful temple of Lord Krishna .

Radha Ballabh Temple : This temple was built in 1626, and is of special architectural value as it counts as a remnant of ancient Hindu architecture. The temple was demolished in the 17th century and of the huge structure that existed originally, only the plinth remains.

Gopi Nath Temple : This temple, which closely resembles the Madan Mohan mandir in style and dimensions, was built by a Rajput family of Jaipur.

Glass Temple    : The amazing artwork is next to none in leaving visitors speechless.

Nidhi Van         : It is also known as Radha's Kridasthali, (the playground of Radha, Krishna's consort).

Banke Bihari   : It is one of the oldest temples in the region, and was rebuilt in 1921 by disciples of Haridas Swami.

GOVERDHAN     :     This little hamlet lies about 26 Kms. from Mathura, along the road to Deeg. It is named after the Goverdhan Hillock, which Lord Krishna balanced on his little finger to save the people of brijbhoomi from incessant rain, which fell for seven days, and would have otherwise destroyed the people of Brij. The hillock is about 7 Miles in length. The temple of Har Dev Ji in Goverdhan town is believed to be more than 400 Yrs old. An artificial lake, Mansi Ganga, was constructed here by Raja Man Singh of Jaipur.


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Places near Delhi - Mathura - Vrindavan

Mathura, a major city in North-western U.P., is located at a distance of 145 Kms. From Delhi and at a distance of just 58 kms. from Agra, a major tourist hot-spot. Mathura forms a major part of the legendary region of Brajbhoomi, the place associated with the birth and life of Lord Krishna, an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. The region covers a huge area of approximately 3800 Sq. Kms., and, is naturally divided into two divisions by River Yamuna. The western part of this region consists of, in addition to Mathura, places like Vrindavan, Govardhan, Kusum Sarovar, Barsana, and Nandgaon. The eastern part consists of Gokul, Mahavan, Baldeo, Math, and Bajna.

From Delhi, Kotban, near Hodel, is the nearest part of Brajbhoomi, while Runakuta is the farthest part. Runakuta is well known for its association with the legendary poet Surdas.

Mathura, along with Vrindavan, is a major place of pilgrimage in northern India. The town of Vrindavan, just 15 kms. from Mathura, is such an integral part of the pilgrimage that Mathura – Vrindavan is the normal nomenclature used by the people instead of taking the names separately. Both Mathura and Vrindavan, are known for the numerous temples scattered all over, as well as other places of religious significance.

To Know more about Mathura - Vrindavan, Read on .................
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Agra - Other Tourist Places

Fatehpur Sikri    -    The Mughal Emperor Akbar built the city of Fatehpūr Sikrī about 35 kms from Agra, and moved his capital there. The place is named in honour of the victory of the first Mughal Emperor Babar over Rana Sanga at a place called Sikrī, which lies about 40 km from Agra. Akbar wanted to make Fatehpūr Sikrī his headquarters, and built a majestic fort with the same idea. However, due to shortage of water, he had to move his headquarters back to the Agra Fort.

Buland Darwāza     -     The 'lofty gateway' was built by the great Mughal emperor, Akbar in 1601 CE. at Fatehpūr Sikrī. Akbar built the Buland Darwāza to commemorate his victory over Gujarat. The Buland Darwāza is approached by 52 steps. The Buland Darwāza is 53.63 m high and 35 meters wide. The Buland Darwāza is made of red sandstone, decorated by carvings and black and white marble inlays. An inscription on the central face of the Buland Darwāza demonstrates Akbar's religious broadmindedness, it is a message from Jesus advising his followers not to consider this world as their permanent home.

Tomb of Akbar the Great at Sikandra    -    The last resting place of the Mughal Emperor Akbar the Great, is on the Delhi-Agra Highway, only 13 kilometres from the Agra Fort. Akbar's tomb reflects the completeness of his personality. The vast, beautifully carved, red-ochre sandstone tomb with deers, rabbits and langoors is set amidst a lush garden. Akbar himself planned his own tomb and selected a suitable site for it. To construct a tomb in one's lifetime was a Turkish custom which the Mughals followed religiously. Akbar's son Jahāngīr completed construction of this pyramidal tomb in 1613. The names of the Gods of ninety-nine religious sects have been inscribed on the tomb.

Mankameshwar Temple   -  It is one of four ancient temples dedicated to Lord Shiva located on the four corners of Agra City. It is located near the Jāma Masjid and is about 2.5 kilometers from the Tāj Mahal and less than 1 km from Agra Fort. Being located in the old city, the temple is surrounded by markets, many of which date back to the Mughal Era.

Guru ka Tal   -   It was originally a reservoir meant to collect and conserve rainwater built in Agra, near Sikandra, during Jahāngīr's reign, next to the Tomb of I'tibār Khān Khwājasara in 1610. In 1970s, a gurdwāra was erected here. Gurū kā Tal is a holy place of worship for the Sikhs. Four of the ten Sikh Gurus are said to have paid it a visit. Enjoying both historical and religious importance, this gurdwāra attracts a large number of devotees and tourists. Boasting elaborate stone carvings and 8 towers of the twelve original towers. It is located by national (Delhi-Agra) highway-2.

Jāma Masjid    -   It is a large mosque attributed to Shah Jahan's daughter, Princess Jahanara Begum, built in 1648, notable for its unusual dome and absence of minarets. The inscription at its entrance shows that it costed Rs 5 Lakhs at that time for its completion.

Ram Bagh    -   The oldest Mughal garden in India, the Rām Bāgh was built by the Emperor Bābar in 1528 on the bank of the Yamuna. It lies about 2.34 km north of the Tāj Mahal. The pavilions in this garden are designed so that the wind from the Yamuna, combined with the greenery, keeps them cool even during the peak of summer. The original name of the gardens was Ārām Bāgh, or 'Garden of Relaxation', and this was where the Mughal emperor Bābar used to spend his leisure time and where he eventually died. His body was kept here for sometime before sending it to Kabul.

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Agra - Baby Taj

Itmad-Ud-Daulah's Tomb    -   Empress Nūr Jahān, wife of Mughal Emperor Jahangir, built Itmād-Ud-Daulah's Tomb, sometimes called the 'Baby Tāj', for her father, Mirzā Ghiyās Beg, the Chief Minister of the Emperor. Located on the left bank of the Yamuna river, the mausoleum is set in a large cruciform garden criss-crossed by water courses and walkways. The mausoleum itself covers about 23 square metres (250 sq ft), and is built on a base about fifty square meters and about one meter high. On each corner are hexagonal towers, about thirteen meters tall. Small in comparison to many other Mughal-era tombs, it is sometimes described as a jewel box. Its garden layout and use of white marble, pietra dura, inlay designs and lattice work presage many elements of the Tāj Mahal.

The walls are built in white marble, brought specially from Rajasthan, and are encrusted with semi-precious stone decorations. Cornelian, jasper, lapis lazuli, onyx, and topaz have been arranged in images of cypress trees and wine bottles, or more elaborate decorations like cut fruit or vases containing bouquets. Light penetrates to the interior through delicate jālī screens of intricately carved white marble.

Many of Nūr Jahān's relatives are interred in the mausoleum. The only asymmetrical element of the entire complex is that the tombs of her father and mother have been set side-by-side, a formation replicated in the Taj Mahal.

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Places to visit in Delhi - Tughlaqabad Fort

Tughlaqabad Fort Ruins, located in South Delhi, and stretching across 6.5 km, are wonderful remnants of the Delhi Sultanate of the 14^th century. These are ruins of the fort built by Ghiyas-ud-din Tughlaq, the founder of the Tughlaq dynasty, which ruled Delhi for almost all of 14^th century. This fort was built in 1321, but was abandoned in 1327, quite a small period for a forts' prominence.

Ghazi Malik, a slave of the Khilji rulers of the Khilji dynasty, once suggested to the king that a fort built here would be impregnable. However, the khilji king took it lightly and even made fun of him.

A few years later, Ghazi Malik usurped the throne from the Khilji king, and gave himself the title of Ghias-ud-din Tughlaq, and laid the foundations of the Tughlaq dynasty, also known as the slave dynasty, in 1321 AD. As soon as he became the king, he ordered the construction of this fort city, which he believed to be impregnable, but intended it to be beautiful at the same time.

Connected to the southern outpost of the fortification by an elevated causeway is the 'Mausoleum of Ghiyas-ud-din Tughluq'. This causeway was built over an artificial lake, which no longer exists today, and instead, the Mehrauli- Badarpur road runs below it. The entrance has a high gateway made up of red sandstone as well as a flight of steps.

The mausoleum is in the shape of a single-domed square tomb (about 8 m x8 m) with sloping walls, which are crowned by parapets. While the walls of the forts are made up of granite, the walls of the mausoleum are formed of smooth red sandstone and are inlaid with inscribed panels and arch borders formed of marble. The edifice is topped by an elegant dome resting on an octagonal drum that is covered with white slabs of marble.

The mausoleum houses the graves of Ghiyas-ud-din Tughluq, his wife, and his son, Muhammad bin Tughluq, who was his successor as well. In the north-western section of the enclosure wall, with its pillared corridors, is another octagonal tomb, constructed in style similar to the rest of the mausoleum, but with a smaller marble dome and with inscribed marble and sandstone slabs over its arched doors. According to an inscription over its southern entrance, this smaller tomb houses the grave of Zafar Khan, which had been at the site prior to the construction of the outpost. Ghiyas-ud-din had himself made arrangements for the amalgamation of this grave into the design of the mausoleum.

Tughluqabad Fort consisted of massive stone fortifications that surrounded the city. The walls of the city are between 10 and 15 meters high, and are topped by battlement parapets and are provided additional strength by circular bastions of up to two stories height. These features were quite prominent in most structures of the slave dynasty. It is believed that the city had as many as 52 gates, but, there are only 13 remaining today. The fortified city contained seven rainwater tanks as well to provide continuous water supply to all the inhabitants.

The fortified city can be divided into three parts; the city area, with houses built along a rectangular grid located between its gates, which is the widest; the citadel with a tower at its highest point known as Bijai-Mandal, which also has the remains of several halls; and, the adjacent palace area, which contained the royal residences. A long underground passage below the tower still remains.

Today, even though the fort city looks majestic and worth exploring, most of the city is inaccessible due to dense thorny vegetation, which has come up due to the neglect shown by the authorities. Further, a large part of the former city area has been occupied by illegal settlements, especially in the vicinity of its lakes, which is slowly, but surely, eating away the fort.

At the same time while visiting the Tughluqabad fort, one can easily decipher the remains of the Fortress of Adilabad in the south-east direction, which was built years later, but in a similar style.