Welcome to Mathura
121 meters above sea level, Meerut is an ancient city in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Once known for it’s culture, educational institutions and as the place where the Indian freedom struggle began in 1857, it is now a thriving business city. Most sports goods in India are manufactured in Meerut including cricket bats, balls and leg guards, and it is often visited by many cricketers, who travel to Meerut to get their bats made.
The birthplace of Krishna, Mathura is a sacred and an important pilgrimage place for Hindus. A city of temples and shrines, it is situated on the banks of the river Yamuna in Uttar Pradesh. Strategically located at the cross of many trade routes, Mathura was once the centre of trade and the meeting point for varied cultures.
Meerut
Augurnath Temple/Kali Paltan Mandir
Dedicated to Lord Shiva, it is believed that the Kali Paitan Mandir was the place where India’s freedom struggle and the revolt against British rule first began in 1857. The chief priest of the temple instigated the soldiers to a violent reaction against the use of cow fat to seal the cartridges. Situated in Meerut Cantonment, many soldiers came to the well inside the temple complex, to quench their thirst.
St. John’s Church and cemetery
Built during the British rule, St. John’s Church is one of the oldest in North India. It also has a cemetery in which many of the British were buried during the 1857 uprising.
The re-creation of the Ashoka pillar. Image by Amit Tyagi
Government Freedom Struggle Museum
A must-visit is the Government Freedom Struggle Museum, which collects, preserves and documents and exhibits paintings and other artifacts depicting the Indian freedom struggle of 1857. It is located at the Bhainsali Grounds, near a re-creation of the Ashoka Pillar (the original was carried away from Meerut by Allauddin Khilji and is now in the British Museum in London.
Shahpeer's Mausoleum
Erected by empress Nur Jahan in 1628, the red stone structure was built in honour of Sufi Sant, Hazrat Shahpeer. While there is no roof over the main tomb, it is intricately adorned with stone paintings.
Hastinapur
Not far from the city of Meerut is the town of Hastinapur, the centre of the Mahabharat and a place of Jain pilgrimage. It also has the Hastinapur National Park, that cradles the River Ganga and receives migratory birds in winter. The river itself is lovely to sit by and relax, in this part of India; it is not as polluted as in Kanpur and not as crowded as Haridwar. Of course you could check out the Yamuna river too, Meerut is equidistant from both.
Mathura
Keshav Dev Temple or Janma Bhoomi
The most famous temple in Mathura is Keshav Dev, said to be Lord Krishna`s birthplace. Inside the temple there is a small prison where it is believed Lord Krishna was born.
Beautiful paintings done in hand adorn the ceiling of the interiors. The paintings are of gods and also narrate the story of Lord Krishna’s life.
Jama Masjid
Besides the Kehsav Dev temple, is the Jama Masjid mosque. Completed in 1661, by Aurangzeb’s governor Abu-un-Nabi, it is surrounded by four minarets and outer pavilions.
Gowardhan
Not far from Mathura is Gowardhan and many head to the Holy Gowardhan hill for parikrama. It is believed that when it was raining heavily in Gokul, Lord Krishna saved them by lifting the hill with his little finger. All the people were safe under that hill. It is popularly said that every year the hill decreases by the size of a mustard seed. The day it disappears completely will be the end of the world.
Mathura sweets
Let’s talk about food
In Meerut, the availability of food is seasonal and even the sweets change with the seasons. After Diwali upto March, do not miss Meerut's unique, melt-in -your-mouth 'rewri', which is a crisp and crunchy sweet made from sesame seeds, 'gur' (hardened brown sugar), and ghee. The best place to find them is at Ramchandra Sahai at Budhana Gate. In the rains, try the ghevar and pheni (nothing to do with Goan 'feni'). In summer, try nankhatais at every 'halwai' or local sweet maker, but Rohtash in Saket is one of the best. Meerut has a sizeable Muslim population, so if you love biryani, you can try delicious biryani, rumali rotis and kebabs all over the city. But Babbe's kebabs, in Sadar Bazaar, are special. In the rains Meerut is home to some of the best mangoes in India, Dasheri as well as other varieties. North India is known for its evening chaats, so you must sample one of the many kinds of chaats available. You can choose from 2-3 kinds, but the street, dahi-based chaats are the best and you can find them at almost every corner.
Mathura is famous for peda's and milk sweets. Head to Brijwasi Royal, one of the best restaurants for some yummy north Indian food as well as sweets and kachoris, which are known as khasta and served with potato gravy. Radga pattice called as tikki made in desi ghee is also a must-try. And you can’t leave without trying the jalebis, rasgulla, gulab jamun, rabdi and lassi served in a kullad, which is made from mud.
Let's talk about shopping
If you're a sportsperson, you might want to pick up some equipment from Meerut. It also has an extensive handloom and jewellery industry, so you can buy plenty of handlooms fabrics and have them stitched by your tailor or some lovely kurtas.
In Mathura, there are several local shops around the janambhoomi. temple selling…
You’ll find many religious items that you can pick up like clothes for idols, their ornaments, flute for Lord Krishna, peacock feather, paalna-in which baby Krishna swings, eyes, utensils used for puja, religious books, idols, pictures of gods, thrones on which gods sit, holy thread, etc.
With inputs from Amit Tyagi and Kritika Pandey