Posted on: 15 January 2013

Seth Lachman Das Ghat, Mathura - 1903

Mathura, on the banks of the river Yamuna 150 kms south of Delhi, is a sacred city for Hindus. Established as far back as 600 BC, it was famous as an important city of the Kushana empire in the 1st century AD, and when the Chinese traveller HIUEN TSANG visited it in the 7th century it was well-known for its Buddhist monasteries. It was an artistic centre for several centuries, producing images for all the great religions of India, Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Its influence on Indian art declined when it was subjected to upheavals, most notably the sacking of the city by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1018. Mathura's fortunes revived when it became a centre for the Vaishnava cult by the 15th century and it is celebrated now above all as the site which Hindu mythology designates as the birthplace of Krishna, the popular incarnation of Vishnu. As an important pilgrimage site there are hundreds of temples here. In India ghats are stepped embankments leading down to the river, and dozens line the Yamuna as it flows through the city.

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Majestic...

what a a beautiful sight!! not many people in the ghat..clean still water..wish time stood still and contiued like this even today

past is now still gold

This is not Mathura but Alwar. Mathura doesnot has the hilly outcrop as seen in the background.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Alwar.JPG

caught it right Nisar sir, it is the haveli temples in the backdrop!

I had the opportunity to live in Vindaban ( near Mathura) for an year in connection with the preservation of old manuscripts in the Vrindaban research Institute( 1992/93). During that time, I heard a Professor of History speak on the city of Mathura.It was destroyed and re-built four times! Mahamud of Ghazni saw such a huge Hindu Temple here he said it must have taken 200 years to build it and then went on to destroy it! No wonder you do not find any really old living Hindu temples now in the entire northern belt.

Lived in Mathura 30 years back. Any one for 'Mathura ke pedhe '!

Visted Mathura so many times, but information is intresting

very informative.

This is not Mathura as there are no such hills around! it seems Mosi Rani ka kund Alwar.

neh.. this is not mathura....... there is no singal hill in mathura............. & also big architectural difference of the ghats......

Its so un-congested...