Mathura, in the Utter Pradesh state of India, is the birthplace of Lord Krishna (God Krishna, Sri Krishna) and is one of the seven holiest cities for Hindus.
Kesava Deo Temple is the main temple in the Krishnajanmabhoomi complex. Krishnajanmabhoomi complex houses the Kesava Deo Temple, the prison (actual birthplace of Lord Krishna), and other temples. Keshav Dev, i.e., Lord Krishna, is the main deity in the Kesava Deo Temple. It is believed that Bajranabh, the Great-grandson of Lord Krishna, installed the original deity here in this temple.
King Ugrasena ruled Mathura and was overthrown by his son Kamsa (or Kansa). [Kamsa is not King Ugrasena’s biological son but was born to King Ugrasena’s wife, Queen Padmavati, and Drumila (or Gobhila)]. Kamsa was the maternal uncle of Lord Krishna. Kamsa was told that the eighth child of his sister, Devaki, would kill him. Lord Krishna was saved from his Uncle Kamsa’s wrath by divine intervention and was raised by Nanda and Yasoda, a cow-herd couple, in the nearby city of Vrindavan (or called Mathura Vrindavan). Once Krishna grew up, he returned and eventually killed King Kamsa and reinstated Kamsa’s father, Ugrasena, as King of Mathura.
Mathura is a very ancient city, and the great Hindu Epic Ramanaya mentions this city. Hundreds of temples in Vrindavan are dedicated to Lord Krishna and Goddess Radha. (Lord Krishna and Goddess Radha are worshipped together by many.)
What are the Different Names of Lord Krishna?
The list of different names of Lord Krishna can be found here.
How Do I Go to Mathura Kesava Deo Temple?
Mathura town is on the Delhi – Agra National Highway side. This town is a distance of 50 kilometers north of Agra. It takes around 2.5 hours to drive from Delhi if you travel by the Delhi-Agra National Highway.
Mathura junction, with station code MTJ, is the railway station at the birthplace of God Krishna on the Delhi-Chennai / Delhi-Mumbai Mainline.
Madurai’s twin city, Vrindavan, where Lord Krishna spent his childhood, is ten kilometers from Mathura, on the Agra-Delhi National Highway side. There are a few local trains between Mathura and Vrindavan. Vrindavan’s station code is BDB. The Mathura to Vrindavan train journey takes 35 minutes, and the train stops at two stations between Mathura and Vrindavan.