Mathura District of
Uttar Pradesh has an area of 3,333 sq km. The population is over 2 million. Mathura is widely known as the birth place of
Lord Krishna and is located on the western banks of the
Yamuna. The renowned town of
Vrindavan, the playground of Lord Krishna, lies 15 km north of the headquarters,
Mathura. There are many temples in Vrindavan, the most important one being that of Govinda Deva, dating from 1590.
In ancient lore, Mathura city is one of the seven sacred cities, the other six being
Ayodhya,
Haridwar, Varanasi, Kanchi,
Ujjain, and Dwarka. Together they are known as Mokshada, since these places are believed to redeem the souls of all who die within their boundaries.
Mathura school of Art is a great school of art which flourished here for 1200 years.
Holi and Janmashtami are the main festivals. There are many pilgrim and tourist attractions including Sri Krishna Janma Bhumi, Vrindavan, Govardhan, Jatipura,
Barsana, Nandgaon, Gokul, Mahavan,
Jama Masjid, Vishram Ghat, Dwarkadish Temple, and
Gita Mandir. The government museum houses fine collections of archaeological interest.