Mathura - on the way from Delhi to Agra?

aquamoon

Hi...I read about Mathura on the DK book of Rajasthan. From the book, it seems to be a historically critical place in Northern India, as it was the 2nd capital of the first major Buddhist empire that stretched into Northern India, AND it was the birth place of Krishna.

However, this was not mentioned in LP or Rough Guide at all...

Has anyone been here? Is it worth a trip?

Thank you for your advice!

zoltan

Although I haven't been there, it's certainly on the way to Agra and there appears to be a train station (where you should be able to get on/off).
MapMyIndia.com

The fact that it's not listed in the LP guide could be a good reason to go there - less tourists using their "bible" to tell them where to visit.

Cheers
Zoltan

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wonderwomanusa

Oh, it's in the LP ...p 410 in the latest edition.

If you're going to Bharatpur, you can get a bus from there to Mathura (I think it took about an hour, dusty roads, kind of crowded but friendly).

capt_mahajan

If passing by (or if very interested in the temples) one can stop for an hour or two at Mathura.

Else at least I don't find it interesting.

shashank.aggarwal

Mathura goes in Tandom with Vrindavan. They are more of Pilgrimage spots, Vrindavan being the more popular.

Most of the foreigners who visit these places are religiously inclined, however its worth to check all those temples out. The amibance of the markets in the evening is simply amazing.

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peepumasala

In Vrindavan i've seen the most beautiful puja ever!!
Just go to the river a little bit before sunset and get a boat.
It was august, no tourist at all, lots of monkeys, real genuine place!!

ananda2193

If you happen to be in Mathura in March, try to be there for Holi, where they say it's the best place to experience it.

Haylo

That is interesting to me, I will definitely be in Delhi at the end of February, and may extend my trip into mid March. In what way is Mathura better than other places?

glolly1

Hey, boarders! I got this really cool idea. How about we team together and buy our own lodgings for a year in Dehli. We just need a little cash to invest in property in India. After the year we sell it off at a profit and have saved all the cash for hostels and what not? That sounds pretty sound, doesn't it?

ntomer

Too many things came to mind after reading it, but it won't be appropriate to reveal those in a forum like this...

\N

ananda2193

And whose name is on the title? Yours?

I've never spent Holi there, but it is widely known in India as the place to be for Holi. Not exactly sure why. Must be especially enthusiastic and colorful and large.

nayan

vridavan is the place where holi is supposed to have originated(think of the link with radha and krishna).
So its a bit like celebrating christmas in Bethlehem.

other than that.... holi is a rowdy celebration by its very nature anywhere, even when celebrating within extended family.

atala

There is a small museum there worth seeing. It has a few Buddha statues in red sand-stone.

This much about the Mathura period:

"The Kushans, who were great patrons of art, ruled over a large empire in North India from AD 1 to AD 175. Two schools of sculptural art developed during this period-Gandhara and Mathura. Although it portrayed Indian themes, the Gandhara School was based on Greco-Roman norms encapsulating foreign techniques and an alien spirit. On the other hand, the Mathura school was completely Indian.

The Mathura School of Art, noted for its vitality and assimilative character, was a result of the religious zeal of Brahmanism, Jainism and Buddhism. Although it was inspired by the early Indian arts of Bharhut and Sanchi, the influence of Gandhara arts was also manifested in its sculptures. Further, it amalgamated the features of old folk cults like Yaksha worship with contemporary cults, creating a style rich in aesthetic appeal.

There are few creations in the whole range of Indian art which can vie in elegance, delicacy and charm with the lovely feminine figures created by Mathura artists. The innocent but seductive damsels of the Mathura School display highly alluring sexual grace and charm. A Yakshi is usually portrayed nude with globular breasts invariably covered, smooth thighs and the lower garments either shown as transparent or suggestively parted. Her physical charms, combined with soft and pleasant facial expressions, make her extremely enticing.

The sculptures of the Buddha, on the other hand, radiate the religious feelings of gentleness and compassion. In fact, it was during the Kushan period that the Buddha was conceived in human form and sculpted in stone. Carved in bold relief, the features were given a three-dimensional effect, a concept that was probably borrowed from the West.

According to Benjamin Rowland, an eminent professor from Harvard University, "The faces of the statues [of the Buddha sculpted during the Kushan period] are characterized by an open radiant expression; the eyes are fully open, the cheeks round and full, the mount ample, with the lips drawn into a slight smile. This smile is probably the earliest appearance of the only possible device by which the Indian sculpture could indicate the inner contentment and repose of the Buddha."

http://www.india-crafts.com/history_...athura_school/

Typical for sculptures from Mathura are the long ear-lobes.


Mathura is a major stop, though at smallish railway station on the way between Delhi and Agra (50 km before Agra). The Taj Express for instance stops there, too. As mentioned, Vrindavan is much preferable to Mathura in terms of temples and colourful impressions of daily life.

More on Vrindavan check this thread:
http://www.indiamike.com/india/uttar...71/#post393810