Must see places in Mathura,Vrindavan and Fatehpur Sikri

It was my third visit to Mathura and Vrindavan but the first time I am writing down about it . So here is a recap of must see places of interest in Mathura , Vrindavan and Fatehpur Sikri.

How to Reach Mathura – It is a city in Uttar Pradesh ,North India .The nearest airport is in Agra about 65 km away. Mathura is well connected through trains and road to the rest of India .

I travelled with friends by road from Delhi to Mathura through the Greater Noida Expressway and it took us 2 and a half hour to reach with two short breaks .

Film Director Prakash Jha (source )

The city of Mathura  holds a lot of importance among Hindus as it is widely believed to be the birthplace of Lord Krishna – a Hindu God and the Eight reincarnation of Lord Vishnu .The legend goes that Lord Krishna’s parents Vasudev and Devaki were held captive by his maternal uncle King Kans as a divine forecast had announced that the tyrant King Kams would meet his end through the hands of Devaki’s eighth son .Kans in turn kept his brother-in-law Vasudev  and sister Devaki jailed and killed all their offsprings as soon as they were born all except two.Lord Krishna was born in a Jail where from his father with divine intervention managed to sneak off from the fortress and handed over the baby Krishna to his good friend Nand Dev of Gokul Village.

We stayed at Hotel Madhuvan and you can read my detailed review of the hotel  here.

Main attractions of Mathura city are Dwarkadheesh Temple, Shri Krishna JanmaBhoomi ,Jama Masjid, Kans Fort,Potara Kund and the Government museum of  Mathura .Gokul, Barsana and Goverdhan are the other township associated with the legend of Lord Krishna.

Because of time constraints I could only visit the Shri Krishna Janmbhoomi  in Mathura .

Some important tips to remember before visiting Shri Krishna Janmbhoomi

1. Shoes, bags and mobiles are not allowed inside the temple complex .
2. Dress modestly though there is no dress code enforced .
3. Photography is not allowed inside the temple complex .
4. Prasad for offering to the Gods is available at shops inside and outside the complex if you wish to      offer prasad for worship .

 

 

Built in red sandstone ,the architecture is rather new fashioned and simple in style but the whole place has a tranquility and spirituality to it. The premises are clean, spacious (except the actual Janmbhoomi inside the temple) and maintained well .

Food – Do try the Mathura ka famous pedha – a milk based sweet and Bedami poori with Aloo.

PREM MANDIR , a must visit place in  Vrindavan

Built on 54 acres of land and managed by Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat, an international  educational, spiritual and charitable trust, this temple complex is dedicated to Shri Sita Ram and Shri Radhe Krishna .The foundation stone was laid by Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj on 14 January 2001. It took 1000 artists and 12 years to build this beautiful complex.The walls are made of solid Italian white marble.The thickness of the walls of the Garbha-Griha ( the sacrosanctum ) is 8 ft to bear the weight of huge shikhar( Spire) Swarna Kalash  and the Flag hoisted at the topmost point of the temple .

The  temple’s exterior has 84 panels to display the  events from the life of  Shri Krishna as depicted in  Shrimad Bhagvad Geeta – the sacred Hindu Book .

Prem Mandir -Vrindavan

They have beautiful lighting at night which makes the whole place come alive .The evening Arti is inclusive to all with Prasad being distributed and Tilak and garlands offered to the devotees too .All in all it becomes a place overflowing with a kind of cosmic energy, joy and  universal love .The Kids specially loved the Live Jhankis ( tableau ).

The mornings are equally beautiful here.One can soak in the architectural marvel and the white Italian marble work .

The temple also has a restaurant , souvenir shop and restrooms for devotees .
This place is very clean and well maintained which really impressed me .
Shoes are not allowed inside but mobiles are allowed .
You are not expected to cover up or wear a dress code.
Word of caution – Evenings can be very crowded though because of ample space , it is not a problem.

BANKE BIHARI MANDIR in Vrindavan

Bankey means “bent in three places” and Bihari means “supreme enjoyer.”Bankey Bihari Temple is dedicated to the Lord krishna’s and was established by Swami Haridas , a guru of the famous singer Tansen.

The Idol at Banke Bihari Temple (source – tripadvisor)

1.It is said that once Swami Haridas sang a heartfelt verse in praise of the Celestial couple Shyama-Shyam (Radha Krishna) and the divine couple appeared in front of Shri Swami Haridas and his devotees. The legend goes that such was the beauty and brilliance of the couple that every one except the Shri Sawmi was blinded and mesmerised by the aura .Swami ji then requested the God to reduce their aura so that the devotess could regain their senses and so the divine couple merged into a single deity and left behind  a black stone idol to be worshipped by the devotees .Thence a temple was built around the idol left behind by Shri Radha Krishna .

To this day the curtain screening the Deity is not left open continuously like at other temples. But every few minutes, the curtain is pulled closed and then reopened for darshan respecting the age old tradition that protects the devotees from the blinding aura of the deity .

2. It is the only temple where loud temple bells are not used to awaken the Lord Shri Krishna from his slumber in the morning since he is considered still a child and allowed the luxury of sleeping late and is aroused gently .

3.The sewa (service ) of the Bihariji  is performed in three parts every day i.e. Shringar ( Bathing and decorating the Lord with rich dresses and ornaments in the late morning  ),Rajbhog ( offering a feast to the Lord just before noon ) and Shayan (Preparing the Lord for bed in the evening ).

4. The special Mangal-Arti is conducted only on Janmasthami. So Janmashthami actually is the day to visit for best darshan and the complete experience .Unfortunately the place is heavily crowded with no proper security measures to stem the flow of devotees .I would not recommend taking elderly or small kids at such times .

5. The revered feet of the Deity can only be seen once a year on Akshaya Tritiya (also called Chandan Darshan or Dolotsav), which falls on the on the third day of the bright half of the month of Vaishaka (April–May).

6.The full moon day of Autumn is the only day that the Deity holds a flute and wears a special mukut (crown).

7.Shri Bankey Bihari comes off his altar and can be seen in full view on the last five days of the month of Phalguna, during the Holi festival. He can be seen with four gopis, who are seen just at this time.

Pagal Baba Temple

The ten storey high Pagal Baba  (The Mad Ascetic )Temple is a landmark structure in Vrindavan and was built by his followers .The temple is also famous for its puppet shows depicting the scenes from the life of Lord Rama and Krishna .

Jaipur Temple:

The Jaipur Temple which was built by Sawai Madhav Singh, the Maharaja of Jaipur in 1917, is a richly embellished and opulent temple. The temple dedicated to Shri Radha-Madhav has beautiful and fine craftsmanship on red sandstone typical of the Jaipuri craftsmen .

Fatehpur Sikri is located in the state of Uttar Pradesh and is just 39 km from Agra – the city of the Taj Mahal. It is well-connected by road to Agra and other major cities of the state. Agra has great road, rail and air connectivity.

We were already in Mathura and it was 65 km by road so we went by road and reached Fatehpur Sikri  in about one and a half hour .

Fatehpur Sikri is a reminder that in the Darbar of the great Almightly ,even emperors can become beggars. The great Mughal Emperor Akbar went down on his knees  here  to seek blessings from Khwaja Salim Chishti to beget a son.As fate would have it , he was soon blessed with a son who was lovingly christened “Salim “and  later went on to succeed Akbar and rule the Mughal Empire .

The Fatehpur Sikri Fort houses the tomb of the Khwaja as well as a huge mosque . Built in red sandstone and white marble and bearing the hallmarks of the same Mughal architecture – domes, arches and fine marble work – this place not only offers a glimpse of great craftsmanship but also has a soulful quality as the place is thronged by couples and people who still believe in the power of the Khwaja to grant their wishes .

A believer tying the sacred thread and making a wish