A BRIEF ABOUT LORD KRISHNA
On and off the record 330 million – or in a local slang Muppathi Mukkodi – Gods are being worshiped across India that divided into 29 states and 7 union territories speaking around 28 different languages over the length and breadth of the country. And one divine name finds its relevance everywhere, for every kind of people surviving many generations without losing its charisma a bit, that is none other than ‘Lord Krishna’. Lord Krishna is believed to be born in Mathura which is around 150 km from the capital city of India, Delhi, and 50 km from Agra. The place that still breaths its life with the stories revolving around His birth, His childhood naughtiness, His tender age heroics, His youth’s love stories, His adulthood intellectual wisdom. The place recognizes and reverberates around in the memory of Lord Krishna’s life where lakhs of devotees visit every day known as Mathura in the state of Uttar Pradesh.
WHY MATHURA IS SO FAMOUS
When rivers used to define the divinity of many mythological aspects of a holy place and River Ganga has been connected to many places precisely 11 states of India through the places like Kashi, Haridwar, etc but in Mathura it is river Yamuna which is related to this place and life of Krishna. The calm and silently flowing river Yamuna have same divinity as that of any temple here. Even now the core of the area known as Brij Bhumi is divided into two based on the riverbanks into either side namely eastern and western parts. Approximately 5000 Lord Krishna temples in this small city prove the long relationship between the divinity of Lord Krishna and this place.
AN UNEXPECTED WOW MOMENT
During a trip to explore Mathura, we landed in another temple first by missing the correct road towards the actual destination of Lord Krishna. It was located very close to the highway and known as Radha Vrindavan Chandra Mandir. There was nothing special except the temple was huge, peaceful with architectural excellence of modern times constructed with the latest know-how and technology which look like a trademark for the temple. It was a type of building, a modern one in design and appearance and made with latest modern building designs, materials too. The white marble structure was really appealing to all with specially designed stones fixed in intermediate location making more attractive to everyone. Seemed to be a type of building that ‘money can do anything type’ and it was true too almost – even from the view of grand arch entrance gate leading to the temple from outside.
The temple was built by ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) founder fulfilling his dream of making a temple for Lord Krishna and His brother in the same building in a place where they were played together ie Mathura. The main deity thus belongs to them with other paintings of Lord Krishna’s life depicted in the walls and other idols side by.
But the real wow moment from visiting this temple was when we came to know about the volume of effort, they were doing very religiously every day. This temple provides meals to poor kids covering almost every school in the district and nearby villages, a continuation of such work after successful implementation by ISKCON, Bangalore. The temple is also known as Akshaya Patra temple, a name provided very thoughtfully taken from Puranas which it literally means a Never-Ending Food bowl. The preparation of food is with the help of huge machines primarily for chappathi (Roti) making – from mixing of wheat flour to the final shape which can make 1000s of rotis within an hour or so.
THE MAIN DESTINATION REACHED
On an honest note, this was a temple that had been come on our way because of not knowing the exact route to original destination but it was equally worth, like any historical temple by witnessing how they were making a real change to the society. Soon we proceeded to the location of Lord Krishna’s birthplace by getting to know about the road that to be followed. As we reached very close to the temple location, it seemed like despite being a destination where so many people across India comes daily and even foreigners, but the place have not received its due or recognition or its real value which it possesses. Congested roads with no signboards for how to reach there made us again confused little bit. It is not about to change the aesthetic originality of the temple, but the infrastructure of the location could have been developed for making the life or travel of visitors easier.
But it was not a concern to be bothered about, as soon as we realized the importance of this place that looks like still enveloped with the divine aura spread by Lord Krishna with the presence of thousands of devotees chanting Hare Krishna as we entered the road towards the temple complex in which the prison where Lord Krishna was born is still preserved in its original condition.
A RESEMBLANCE TO WHAT IT WAS 5000 YEARS AGO
The street looked like they were part of the ancient time with cows wandering as it belongs to them on a logical thought based on Lord Krishna’s life. The temple premises or the Janmasthan, turned out to be way different than how the street looked like. The temple and the complex were treated as very sensitive locations with the presence of heavy security found all over the place. Mobile phones and cameras were banned inside the temple premises, so special arrangements for depositing those stuff safely was available at the entrance.
The temple is constructed in such a way that it is exactly at the location where Lord Krishna was believed to be born as per the stories we came across. Once inside and being in the place where Lord Krishna has born – precisely the prison area was changed the course of thought to divine and soul filling. The special ambience and silence despite being many visitors inside has truly made it more memorable. Many faces from many places and states were found to be content with the blessed moment of being in such a place.
THE BIRTH SECRET
Kansa – the cruel maternal uncle of Lord Krishna wanted to kill all the sons of His parents as there was a prediction through a voice from the sky during his sister Devaki’s wedding with Vasudev, the precise reason why Lord Krishnas’s parents were being imprisoned so to kill each child born to them. The story goes like that Kansa killed all the 7 newborn babies immediately after birth and when Lord Krishna was born, Vasudev had escaped from prison and moved far away to a safe home with infant Krishna.
The Janmabhoomi complex is consists of a temple known as Keshav Dev temple and most of the visitors might consider this to be the temple that Lord Krishna believed to be born. This temple – one of the thousands of Lord Krishna temples are situated within the city albeit with another names, as per the history books, the main deity was installed by the great-grandson of Lord Krishna around 4000 to 5000 years ago.
THE FAMOUS STEP WELL
Another magnificent location in a walkable distance from the janmasthan that related to the stories of Lord Krishna is a water body a step well, known or as Potra Kund with specially designed steps all around. Lord Krishna’s parents used this area for bathing and washing of clothing. The steps constructed with red sandstones were maintained crefully by concerned authorities that looked like free from any major damages.
Mathura, which may also be called as city of temples for the number of divine locations this small city is having opens up another temple while moving into to any direction, most likely famous. Dwarakdeesh temple with literal meaning of Lord Krishna being the owner of Dwarka close to the banks of river was another famous one visited. Relatively new and it is known for its architectural works and paintings on ceilings.
ON THE BANKS OF SACRED RIVER YAMUNA @ VISHRAM GHAT
Few steps from this temple, flows the sacred and revered river Yamuna in divine city of Mathura where people across India would like to visit and do a Parikarma pooja by taking a bath in the holy water of river Yamuna. The name of the place is Vishram ghat where pilgrims gather, the central ghat among of 24 others 12 each on either side where it believed to be the place that Lord Krishna rested after killing the demon Kansa, thus the name Vishram ghat. Unlike river Ganga another sacred river in India with the amount of divinity it carries across India flowing through 11 Indian states which seems furious in many locations’ river Yamuna looked standstill and peaceful inviting every onlooker on the ghat to take rest by being spending some there making the name of ghat meaningful.
It was start of winter with perfect climate and standing in the Vishram ghat in the presence of sacred river Yamuna with less than 10 steps away felt like blissful and dreamlike scenario waiting for years to come. The silent Yamuna River, not so big in width that the other side is just few meters away with boats plying with visitors and feathered white birds flying in huge numbers (I am not sure about its name) only added the charm of the holy river to spend as much time there.
ENJOY THE PEACEFULNESS OF RIVER YAMUNA THROUGH BOATING
Made some customary poojas for the departed soul of my father, mother and a younger brother who left the world in a much younger age with a heavy heart and spent some time to take a deep breath while sitting on the banks of this sacred river. A boat ride looked really interesting and a must do here and as the thought went by not much time was required to get into a boat to with their planned itinery is rowing across to reach other side of the river. A tiny temple complex inside a village close to the shore with two or three small buildings were there but what it seemed to be interested is the vast difference on either side of the river Yamuna. On one side the hustle and bustle of a famous tourist location and on the other side a pukka village which looked like even basic necessities are yet to reach. The same boat will stay there to bring back and show the important places on the riverbank mostly related to the stories Lord Krishna.
There were many more temples that are famous and special in its own unique ways in Mathura like Nidhivan and Sevakunj where time does not feel to move while enjoying the special place to be in even in the long queue to have the darshan. So many stories being told by an old fellow nearby while on the slow-moving line emphasizing the importance of this place for Lord Krishna and his Rasleela.
The place was surrounded by Tulsi plant of different types and astonished by seeing Tulsi being planted as a forest protected by a fence on either side of a small corridor through which the visitors have to walk for the important deities and locations. As per the mythology this is the place where Lord Krishna, Radha and Gopis enjoyed the rasleela. The dances of the visitors after the darshan from the main temple within a dedicated space gathered by many made us helpless but to dance with their moves for few minutes.
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