Mathura and Vrindavan in Uttar Pradesh are major centers of pilgrimage for Hindus because it was here Lord Sri Krishna had spent his early childhood. Hence temples in Mathura have close links with the life of Sri Krishna and his exploits in his early days.
Vrindavan, just at a distance of 15 km from Mathura has numerous temples. Places of veneration such as Prem Mandir Rangaji temple and Vishram ghat are of particular interest.
Prem Mandir:
Prem Mandir, a religious and spiritual complex built
on a 54-acre site on the outskirts of Vrindavan, Mathura is one of the newest temples dedicated to
Gita Mandir, a bit away from the main town; this temple has beautiful carvings and paintings and is being visited by lots of visitors. The main attraction of this temple located on the Mathura - Vrindavan
road, is the inscription of the entire verses of the Bhagavad Gita.
The
Vrindavan site was developed by Jagadguru Shree Kripaluji Maharaj
himself whose main ashram was at Vrindavan and it was His Holiness,
Fifth Jagadguru built the Prem Mandir. Though the foundation work began
in January, 2002, the
temple was completed only in February 2012. A sum of more than 23
million dollars (150 crore rupees) was spent on this temple of
veneration. The length of the temple is 185 feet and the width is 135
feet.
The presiding deities are Shri Radha Govind (Radha Krishna) and Shri Sita Ram. A dome-shaped satsang hall without pillars, covering 73,000 square feet, with a capacity to accommodate 25.000 people at a time is under construction next to Prem Mandir.
The unique features of this temple are its entrance in all directions and the pure white Italian marble stones, exhibiting a mix of modern and ancient temple architecture; 125 feet high and 122 long and 115 feet wide. The additions of water fountains and gardens enhance the beauty and majesty of this wonderful moden temple. It is believed to be the biggest temple in entire Braj Mandal.
Vishram ghat:
It is the sacred place where Lord Krishna is believed to have rested
after slaying the demon king Kamsa. It is from the Vishram Ghat begins and ends the
traditional Parikrama - the pilgrimage in a Prathakshana manner -
visiting the important religious and holy places in the city in a
clock-wise manner. There are 12 ghats of Yamuna to the north of Vishram
Ghat such as Ganesh Ghat, Dashashwamedh Ghat with its
Neelakantheshwar Temple, Saraswati Sangam Ghat, Krishnaganga Ghat,
Vaikuntha Ghat, etc., There are 11 ghats to the south that may
include the Guptatirth Ghat, Prayag Ghat marked by the Veni Madhav
Temple, Shyam Ghat, Ram Ghat, Kankhal Ghat, the site of the Janmashtami
and Jhula festivals, Ravan Koti Ghat and Buddha Ghat.etc.
All along the Vishram Ghat one could find some of the important holy shrines and among them Radha-Damodar, Murli Manohar, Yamuna-Krishna, Langali Hanuman shrines are worthy of mention. Every evening Aarthi is held with great religious fervor, it is quite fascinating to see innumerable flickering oil lamps floating on the quiet river casting radiance on the waters. People visiting Mathura will never fail to visit the Holy kunds - sacred ponds; once there were 159 kunds, of which only a few survived. These include Shiv Tal, Potara Kund associated closely with Lord Krishna, besides the Balbhadra and Saraswati kunds. In addition to temples dedicated to Sri Krishna, there are many shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva and the important ones include Bhuteshwar Mahadev Temple to the west of the town, the Gokarneshwar Temple in the north, the Rangeshwar Mahadev Temple to the south and the Pipaleshwar Mahadev Temple to the east.
Rangaji
Temple: This temple boasts of a traditional South Indian-style Gopuram
and high walls. The main deity is Lord Ranganatha, a form of Lord
Krishna.
This temple, as mentioned before,is dedicated to Sri Ranganatha (Lord Vishnu) and his consort Lakshmi and is like the famous Sri Ranganatha and his consort Ranganayagi temple of Srirangam, Tamil Nadu, the largest temple complex in the world. There are many shrines dedicated to the Alwars (Tamil Vaishnavite saints) Periyazhvar, Namazhvar, Poigaiazhavar, Sri Andal, daughter of Periyazhvar, et al are some the famous saints who dedicated their entire lives to Lord Vishnu. Here Lord Vishnu is in Ananta Sayanam posture on the recoiled serpent - Aadi Sesha Naaga. The other deities include Lord Narasimha, Sita-Rama and Lakshman, Venugopala and Sri Ramanuja Charya, the great vainshnavite saint whose Samadhi is at the Srirangam temple complex, Srirangam. This temple is built in Dravidian architecture.
This temple, that follows the south Indian tradition, was built by Seth Radha Krishna and Seth Govinda Dasa of Chennai (Madras) in 1851 and a sum of 45 lakhs had been spent on the temple construction. This is the biggest temple in Vrindavan, outer wall covering 231meters (770 ft) by 132 meters (440 ft). The six-story tower - Gopuram is about 105 feet tall and there are features like temple tank, flagstaff (Dhuwaja stambam), as one will find in south Indian Hindu temples. The temple pooja protocol is based on the age old system established by the great saint Sri Ramanuja Charya and the priests are mainly south Indian Brahmins, following Vaishnava Sampradaya.
Ref:
http://mathuravisit.com/vrindavan/prem-mandir.html
Vrindavan, just at a distance of 15 km from Mathura has numerous temples. Places of veneration such as Prem Mandir Rangaji temple and Vishram ghat are of particular interest.
Prem Mandir:
Prem Mandir, a religious and spiritual complex built
on a 54-acre site on the outskirts of Vrindavan, Mathura is one of the newest temples dedicated to
Gita Mandir, a bit away from the main town; this temple has beautiful carvings and paintings and is being visited by lots of visitors. The main attraction of this temple located on the Mathura - Vrindavan
road, is the inscription of the entire verses of the Bhagavad Gita.
 |
| Prem Mandir from Main Gate. en.wikipedia.org |
 |
| Prem MandirFront view of Prem Mandirwikimapia.org |
The presiding deities are Shri Radha Govind (Radha Krishna) and Shri Sita Ram. A dome-shaped satsang hall without pillars, covering 73,000 square feet, with a capacity to accommodate 25.000 people at a time is under construction next to Prem Mandir.
The unique features of this temple are its entrance in all directions and the pure white Italian marble stones, exhibiting a mix of modern and ancient temple architecture; 125 feet high and 122 long and 115 feet wide. The additions of water fountains and gardens enhance the beauty and majesty of this wonderful moden temple. It is believed to be the biggest temple in entire Braj Mandal.
Vishram ghat:
 |
| Vishram Ghat ...c2w.com |
All along the Vishram Ghat one could find some of the important holy shrines and among them Radha-Damodar, Murli Manohar, Yamuna-Krishna, Langali Hanuman shrines are worthy of mention. Every evening Aarthi is held with great religious fervor, it is quite fascinating to see innumerable flickering oil lamps floating on the quiet river casting radiance on the waters. People visiting Mathura will never fail to visit the Holy kunds - sacred ponds; once there were 159 kunds, of which only a few survived. These include Shiv Tal, Potara Kund associated closely with Lord Krishna, besides the Balbhadra and Saraswati kunds. In addition to temples dedicated to Sri Krishna, there are many shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva and the important ones include Bhuteshwar Mahadev Temple to the west of the town, the Gokarneshwar Temple in the north, the Rangeshwar Mahadev Temple to the south and the Pipaleshwar Mahadev Temple to the east.
 |
| Vishram Ghat, Mathura www.panoramio.com |
 |
| Rang-ji-temple.bharatdiscovery.org |
This temple, that follows the south Indian tradition, was built by Seth Radha Krishna and Seth Govinda Dasa of Chennai (Madras) in 1851 and a sum of 45 lakhs had been spent on the temple construction. This is the biggest temple in Vrindavan, outer wall covering 231meters (770 ft) by 132 meters (440 ft). The six-story tower - Gopuram is about 105 feet tall and there are features like temple tank, flagstaff (Dhuwaja stambam), as one will find in south Indian Hindu temples. The temple pooja protocol is based on the age old system established by the great saint Sri Ramanuja Charya and the priests are mainly south Indian Brahmins, following Vaishnava Sampradaya.
Ref:
http://mathuravisit.com/vrindavan/prem-mandir.html
