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Mathura (मथुरा) is a city in India, located approximately 50 km north of Agra, and south of Delhi. It is the administrative center of the Mathura District. During the ancient period, this was an economic hub, located at the junction of some relatively important caravan routes.

The Bodhisattva Maitreya, art of Mathura, 2nd century AD.

Mathura is the reputed birthplace of Krishna, Krishnajanmabhoomi. The Keshav Dev temple was built in ancient times on the site of Krishna's supposed birthplace (an underground prison). In the 6th century BC Mathura became the capital of the Shursen republic.

The city was later ruled by the Maurya empire (4th to 2nd centuries BC) and the Shunga dynasty (2nd century BC). It was then ruled by the Indo-Greeks between 180 BC and 100 BC. It briefly reverted to Indian rule, and was then occupied by the Indo-Scythians during the 1st century BC. Archaeological evidence seems to indicate that, by 100 BC, there was a group of Jains living in Mathura .

Mathura served as one of the Kushan Empire's two capitals from the first to the third centuries. The Mathura Museum has the largest collection of redstone sculptures in Asia, depicting many famous Buddha figurines. In 634 Xuanzang had visited the Mathura town. He went east to Jalandhara in eastern Punjab, before climbing up to visit predominantly Theravada monasteries in the Kulu valley and turning southward again to Bairat and then Mathura, on the Yamuna river.

The city was sacked and many of its temples destroyed by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1018. The Keshav Dev temple was partially destroyed by the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb, who built the city's Jami Masjid (Friday mosque) on the same site, re-using many of the temple's stones. The main Krishna shrine is presently the Dwarkadeesh temple, built in 1815 by Seth Gokuldas Parikh, Treasurer of Gwalior.

The city is mentioned in the Sherlock Holmes story 'The Sign of Four.'

Mathura is home to a large, technologically advanced oil refinery owned by the Indian Oil Corporation.

Art of Mathura

The Indo-Scythian Mathura lion capital, 1st century AD.
The Bodhisattva Maitreya, 2nd century AD. The Bodhisattva Maitreya, 2nd century AD.
The Bodhisattva Siddhartha Gautama, 2nd century AD.
Buddha of the Gupta period, 5th century AD. Buddha of the Gupta period, 5th century AD.
Head of a Buddha, Gupta period, 6th century AD.

Mathura District

Mathura District is bounded on the northeast by Aligarh district, on the southeast by Hathras district, on the south by Agra district, and on the west and northwest by Haryana state. The district is part of Agra Division.

References

Bowker, John (2002). The Cambridge Illustrated History of Religions, p.60.
Konow, Sten. Editor. 1929. Kharoshthī Inscriptions with Exception of those of Asoka. Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, Vol. II, Part I. Reprint: Indological Book House, Varanasi, 1969.
Mukherjee, B. N. 1981. Mathurā and its Society: The Śaka-Pahlava Phase. Firma K. L. M. Private Limited, Calcutta.
Sharma, R. C. 1976. Mathura Museum and Art. 2nd revised and enlarged edition. Government Museum, Mathura.

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	'''Mathura''' (मथुरा) is a ] in ], located approximately 50 ] north of ], and south of ]. It is the administrative center of the Mathura District. During the ], this was an ] hub, located at the junction of some relatively important ] routes.		'''Mathura''' (मथुरा) is a ] in ], located approximately 50 ] north of ], and south of ]. It is the administrative center of the Mathura District. During the ], this was an ] hub, located at the junction of some relatively important ] routes.

	] ], art of Mathura, ].]]		] ], art of Mathura, ].]]

	Mathura is the reputed birthplace of ], ]. The Keshav Dev temple was built in ancient times on the site of Krishna's supposed birthplace (an underground ]). In the ] Mathura became the capital of the Shursen republic.		Mathura is the reputed birthplace of ], ]. The Keshav Dev temple was built in ancient times on the site of Krishna's supposed birthplace (an underground ]). In the ] Mathura became the capital of the Shursen republic.

	The city was later ruled by the ] empire (] to ] centuries ~~BCE~~) and the ] dynasty (2nd century ~~BCE~~). It was then ruled by the ] between ] and ]. It briefly reverted to Indian rule, and was then occupied by the ] during the ]. ] evidence seems to indicate that, by 100 ~~BCE~~, there was a group of ] living in Mathura ]''].		The city was later ruled by the ] empire (] to ] centuries BC) and the ] dynasty (2nd century BC). It was then ruled by the ] between ] and ]. It briefly reverted to Indian rule, and was then occupied by the ] during the ]. ] evidence seems to indicate that, by 100 BC, there was a group of ] living in Mathura ]''].

	Mathura served as one of the ]'s two capitals from the first to the third centuries. The Mathura Museum has the largest collection of redstone sculptures in Asia, depicting many famous ] figurines.		Mathura served as one of the ]'s two capitals from the first to the third centuries. The Mathura Museum has the largest collection of redstone sculptures in Asia, depicting many famous ] figurines.
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	<gallery>		<gallery>
	Image:MathuraLionCapital.JPG\|The Indo-Scythian ], 1st century CE.		Image:MathuraLionCapital.JPG\|The Indo-Scythian ], 1st century AD.
	Image:MathuraBodhisattvaSide.JPG\|The ] ], 2nd century CE.		Image:MathuraBodhisattvaSide.JPG\|The ] ], 2nd century AD.
	Image:MathuraBuddha.JPG\|The Bodhisattva ], 2nd century CE.		Image:MathuraBuddha.JPG\|The Bodhisattva ], 2nd century AD.
	Image:GuptaBuddha.JPG\|] of the ] period, 5th century CE.		Image:GuptaBuddha.JPG\|] of the ] period, 5th century AD.
	Image:MathuraBuddhaHead.JPG\|Head of a Buddha, Gupta period, 6th century CE.		Image:MathuraBuddhaHead.JPG\|Head of a Buddha, Gupta period, 6th century AD.
	</gallery>		</gallery>