HOW MATHURA IS RELATED TO SHREE KRISHANA?

        HOW MATHURA IS RELATED TO SHREE KRISHANA?

 Mathura : is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the indian state of uttar pardesh. It is located approximately 57.6 kilometres (35.8 mi) north of Agara, and 166 kilometres (103 mi) south-east of Delhi; about 14.5 kilometres (9.0 mi) from the town of virandavan, and 22 kilometres (14 mi) from govardhan. In ancient times, Mathura was an economic hub, located at the junction of important carvan routes. The 2011 census of india estimated the population of Mathura at 441,894.

In hinduism, Mathura is birthplace of krishana, which is located at the krishan janamsthal temple complex. It is one of the sapta puri, the seven cities considered holy by hindus. The kesav deo was built in ancient times on the site of Krishna's birthplace (an underground prison). Mathura was the capital of the kingdom of surasena, ruled by kansa, the maternal uncle of Krishna. Janmashtami is grandly celebrated in Mathura every year.

Mathura has been chosen as one of the heritage cities for the  heritage city youjana scheme of Government of India.

HISTORY:

Mathura, which lies at the centre of the cultural region of braj has an ancient history and is also believed to be the homeland and birthplace of Krishna, who belonged to the yadu dynasty. According to the Arachelogical survey of india plaque at the Mathura museum the city is mentioned in the oldest Indian epic, the Ramayana. In the epic, the ikshwaku prince sathrughana slays a demon called lavanasura and claims the land. Afterwards, the place came to be known as madhuvan as it was thickly wooded, then Madhupura and later Mathura. The most important pilgrimage site in Mathura was Katra ('market place'), now referred to as krishana Janmasthan ('the birthplace of Krishna'). Excavations at the site revealed pottery and terracotta dating to the sixth century BCE, the remains of a large Budhhist complex, including a monastery called Yasha Vihara of the gupta period, as well as jain sculptures of the same era.

Ancient history

Archaeological excavations at Mathura show the gradual growth of a village into an important city during the Vedic age The earliest period belonged to the Painted Gray culture (1100–500 BCE), followed by the Northen Black Polished ware culture (700–200 BCE). Mathura derived its importance as a center of trade due to its location where the northen trade route of the indo-gangatic met with the routes to malwa (central India) and the west coast. Archaeologists have discovered a fragment of Mathura red sandstone from Rakhigari - a site of indus valley civilisation dated to 3rd millennium BCE - which was used as a grindstone; red sandstone was also a popular material for historic period sculpture.

By the 6th century BCE Mathura became the capital of the Surasena kingdom. The city was later ruled by the Maurya empire (4th to 2nd centuries BCE) Megasthenes, writing in the early 3rd century BCE, mentions Mathura as a great city under the name Μέθορα (Méthora). It seems it never was under the direct control of the following Shunga dynasty (2nd century BCE) as not a single archaeological remain of a Shunga presence were ever found in Mathura.

The Indo-greeks may have taken control, direct or indirect, of Mathura some time between 180 BCE and 100 BCE, and remained so as late as 70 BCE according to the yavanrajya inscriptions which was found in Maghera, a town 17 kilometres (11 mi) from Mathura. The opening of the 3 line text of this inscription in Brahmi script translates as: "In the 116th year of the Yavana kingdom..." or '"In the 116th year of Yavana hegemony" ("Yavanarajya") However, this also corresponds to the presence of the native Mitra dyansty of local rulers in Mathura, in approximately the same time frame (150 BCE—50 BCE), possibly pointing to a vassalage relationship with the Indo-Greeks.