Mathura: Difference between revisions

| settlement_type                = City

| official_name                  = Mathura

| image_alt                      = Mathura

| nickname                        = Krishnanagri; The City of Lord Krishna

| map_alt                        = Mathura

| leader_party                    = [[Bharatiya Janata Party|BJP]]

| leader_title1                  = [[District collector (India)|District Magistrate and Collector]]

| leader_title2                  = [[Superintendent of Police (India)|Senior Superintendent of Police]]

| leader_title3                  = [[Member of Legislative Assembly]]

| leader_name3                    = [[Shrikant Sharma]] ([[Bharatiya Janata Party|BJP]])

}}

{{BuddhasHolySites}}

Mathura has been chosen as one of the heritage cities for the [[Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana]] scheme of Government of India.<ref name=holycity/>

==History==

[[File:Edwin Lord Weeks - Along the Ghats, Mathura.jpg|thumb|Along the Ghats of Mathura (circa 1880)]]

[[File:Kankali Tila (Jaini mound).jpg|thumb|General view of the excavations in January 1889 at Kankali Tila, Mathura]]

{{Blockquote|It (Mathura) used to be a great and well populated city, with splendid buildings and a great circuit of walls. The ruins plainly indicate how imposing its buildings were. For out of these forgotten ruins are dug up columns and very ancient statues, of skilful and cunning workmanship. Only one Hindu temple is left out of many; for the Musalmans have completely destroyed all except the pyramids. Huge crowds of pilgrims come from all over India to this temple, which is situated on the high bank of the Jomanis ([[Yamuna]])...<ref>{{cite book |author= J. S. Hoyland (trans.), S. N. Banerjee (annotator) |title=Commentary of Father Monserrate |date=1922 |publisher=Oxford University Press |page=93 |url=https://archive.org/details/commentaryoffath00mons/page/92/mode/2up}}</ref>}}

The [[Mughal Empire|Mughal]] [[Aurangzeb|Emperor Aurangzeb]], built the Shahi-Eidgah Mosque during his rule, which is adjacent to [[Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi]] believed to be over a [[Hindu temple]].<ref>{{Cite book | url = https://books.google.com/books?id=3ctLNvx68hIC&q=akbar%27s+tomb+desecrated+by+jats&pg=PA108 | title = Architecture of Mughal India | isbn = 9780521267281 | last1 = Asher | first1 = Catherine B | date = 24 September 1992 }}</ref> He also changed the city's name to Islamabad.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Fisher |first1=Michael H. |title=An Environmental History of India: From Earliest Times to the Twenty-First Century |date=2018 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-107-11162-2 |page=109 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=kZVuDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA109 |language=en}}</ref> In 1669, Aurangzeb issued a general order for the demolition of Hindu schools and temples, in 1670, specifically ordered the destruction of the Keshavadeva temple. Saqi Mustaid Khan recorded:

Other notable Hindu religious sites and heritage locations includes the Gita Mandir,<ref name=Mathura1/> Govind Dev temple,<ref name=Mathura1/> [[ISKCON]] temple,<ref name=Prasad/> [[Kusum Sarovar]],<ref name=Mathura1>{{cite news |last1=Gupta |first1=Sonam |title=Mathura Temple – The Famous Temples of Mathura |url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/astrology/religious-places/the-famous-temples-of-mathura/articleshow/68206149.cms |access-date=20 April 2021 |work=The Times of India |date=15 May 2017 |language=en}}</ref> [[Naam yog Sadhna Mandir]], Peepleshwar Mahadeo Temple<ref name="MathuraTT">{{Cite web|url=https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/mathura/travel-guide/exploring-5-ancient-temples-of-mathura/gs47615333.cms|title=Exploring 5 ancient temples of Mathura|website=Times of India Travel}}</ref><ref>Lal, Kanwar(1961). ''Holy Cities of India'', Delhi : Asia Press, p.285.</ref> and Yum Yamuna Temple<ref name="MathuraTT"/>

The [[Mathura Museum]] is notable for archaeological artefacts, especially those from the [[Kushan Empire|Kushan]] and [[Gupta Empire|Gupta]] empires. It has sculptures associated with Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.<ref name="Britishlibrary" /><ref>{{cite news |last1=Adhikari |first1=Shona |title=Priceless artefacts hidden away from tourists' eyes |url=https://www.tribuneindia.com/2002/20020818/spectrum/travel.htm |access-date=13 September 2019 |work=Tribune |date=18 August 2002}}</ref>

==Demographics==

{{bar box

| titlebar = #Fcd116

| left1    = Religion

| float    = right

| bars    =  

{{bar percent|Others†|black|1.24}}

}}

The [[2011 census of India]] estimates the population of Mathura to be 441,894, with a decadal growth rate of 22.53 per cent. Males account for 54% (268,445) and females for 46% (173,449) of this population. Sex ratio of Mathura is 858 females per 1000 males, which has increased from 840 (2001). However, national sex ratio is 940. Population density in 2011 has increased from 621 per km² in 2001 to 761 per km². Mathura has an average literacy rate of 72.65 per cent which has increased from 61.46 percent (2001) but still lower than the national average of 74.04 per cent. Male and female literacy rate are 84.39 and 58.93 per cent respectively. 15.61 percent of Mathura's population is under 6 years of age. This figure was 19.56 per cent in 2001 census.<ref name=census2011 />

==Transportation==

===Rail===

[[Mathura Junction railway station]] is situated on the major Delhi-Mumbai rail route. Both Central Railway and Western Railway routes pass through Mathura. Trains from NCR (north-central railway) to ER (eastern railway) also pass through the Mathura junction. [[Mathura Cantt railway station]] is a major route for eastern and central railway.

==See also==

* [[Brij Bhoomi]]

* [[Gokul]]

==References==

{{reflist|refs=

<ref name=ImpGazetteer>{{cite web|title=Imperial Gazetteer of India. v. 18.|url=https://dsal.uchicago.edu/reference/gazetteer/toc.html?volume=18|work=Digital South Asia Library|pages=63–74|year=1908}}</ref>

<ref name=census2011>{{cite web|title=Provisional Population Totals Paper 1 of 2011 : Uttar Pradesh|url=http://censusindia.gov.in/2011-prov-results/prov_data_products_UP.html|work=2011 Census of India|publisher=Ministry of Home Affairs, Government of India|access-date=10 February 2013}}</ref>

}}

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

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

* [http://indiafacts.org/1018-mahmud-ghaznis-invasion-of-mathura/ 1018: Mahmud Ghazni’s invasion of Mathura]

*{{citation|title=Early Inscriptions of Mathurā|last1=Das|first1=Kalyani|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=UuwLAAAAIAAJ|year=1980}}

==External links==

{{Wikiquote}}

{{Wikivoyage|Mathura}}

* [http://www.palikanon.com/english/pali_names/ma/madhuraa.htm Entry on Mathura in the Dictionary on Pali Proper Names]

{{Mathura district}}

{{Famous Vishnu temples}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Mathura| ]]

[[Category:Buddhist pilgrimage sites in India]]

[[Category:Cities and towns in Mathura district]]

[[Category:Former capital cities in India]]

[[Category:Cities in Uttar Pradesh]]