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 The
city of Mathura, in Uttar Pradesh, the nucleus of Brajbhoomi,
is located at a distance of 145 km south-east of Delhi and
58 km north-west of Agra. Covering an area of about 3,800
sq. km., today, Brajbhoomi can be divided into two distinct
units - the eastern part in the trans-Yamuna tract with
places like Gokul, Mahavan, Baldeo, Mat and Bajna and the
western side of the Yamuna covering the Mathura region that
encompasses Vrindavan, Govardhan, Kusum Sarovar, Barsana and
Nandgaon.
The land of Braj starts from Kotban near Hodel about 95 km
from Delhi and ends at Runakuta which is known specially for
its association with the poet Surdas, an ardent Krishna
devotee.
A long line of picturesque ghats - with their steps leading
to the water's edge, arched gateways and temple spires
extending along the right bank of the River Yamuna,
emphasise the sacred character of the town of Mathura. The
birth place of Lord Krishna, "the best known, best loved and
most complex of Lord Vishnu's manifestations" - Mathura is
today an important place of pilgrimage.
An ancient city whose origins fade into the mists of
history, Mathura's strategic location at the cross roads of
various trade routes - that went westwards to West Asia and
the Roman Empire; northwards, via Taxila, Pushkalavati and
Purushapur to Central Asia and the Silk Route and eastwards
to China - ensured its position as a centre of trade and a
meeting point for varied cultures.
By the fifth century BC, during the time of Buddha, it was a
major metropolis and the capital of the Surasena Kingdom -
one of the 16 Mahajanapadas of the period. Mathura saw its
`golden age' during the rule of the Kushanas and the able
governance of rulers like Kanishka, Huvishka, and Vasishka,
when the arts flourished and economic wealth grew. It
remained a centre of power during the Mauryan period,
through the enlightened rule of Emperor Ashoka (3rd century
BC) to the Gupta era (4th century AD).
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