Mathura the brith place of Lord Krishna is an important place of pilgrimage and thousands of devotees throng the city throughout the year. It lies at the heart of the Brajbhoomi, a land that is imbued with sancity, for it was here that the young Krishna was nurtured. The little towns and hamlets in this area are still alive with the tales of his mischievous pranks, his extraordinary exploits and still seem to echo with the sound of his flute.

An ancient habitation, Mathura's strategic location ensured its position as a centre of trade and a meeting point of cultures. A major city during the time of the Buddha (5^th century BC) it became the eastern capital of the Kushan Emperor Kanishka. Mathura continued to be a centre of power during the enlightened rule of Emperor Ashoka (3rd century BC) and upto the Gupra era (4^th century AD). The arts flourished and at the Mathura Museum one can trace the evolution of the Mathura School from the time of the Kushan emperors to the Gupta period.

Today Mathura with its many temples and splendid ghats along the river Yamuna is a bustling pilgrimage town. Lying midway between Delhi and Agra, Mathura is easy to visit.

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