Shri Krishna Janm Bhumi Temple known as the birthplace of Bhagwan Krishna, is located on the banks of the Yamuna River, In Mathura City Of Uttar Pradesh. This Temple is approximately 145 kilometres from the capital city of Delhi. Shri Krishna Janm Bhumi Temple is centred on the Jail cell where Lord Krishna’s parents, Mata Devaki and Vasudeva, were locked up by Devaki’s brother named Kansa. This temple is dedicated to lord Krishna where lord Krishna was born. The temple is in the main heartland of Mathura city in Uttar Pradesh.

Aside from the prison cell, the Krishna Janmasthan Temple is home to several temples dedicated to the god. The holy atmosphere and purity of the temple instil faith in the heart that this is the location where Lord Krishna revealed himself. Krishna Janmabhoomi holds a special place in the hearts and souls of Hindus because it is the birthplace of Lord Krishna. During Krishna’s birth, the tyrant King Kansa, Krishna’s maternal uncle, ruled Mathura.

Story Behind Shri Krishna Janm Bhumi Temple

Shri Krishna Janm Bhumi Temple is Lord Shri Krishna’s birthplace, and a temple complex is located between Vrindavan and Mathura in a place called Govindpuri or Govind Nagar. Shri Krishna Janm Bhumi Temple is the most well-known Hindu pilgrimage site in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh.

In the Krishna Charitas, Krishna is born to Devaki and her husband, Vasudeva, of the Yadava clan in Mathura. Devaki’s brother, Kamsa, is a tyrant. According to Puranic legends, at Devaki’s wedding, fortune tellers tell Kamsa that a child of Devaki will kill him. It is sometimes portrayed as an akashvani announcing Kamsa’s death.

Kamsa plans to murder all of Devaki’s children. When Krishna is born, Vasudeva secretly transports him across the Yamuna and exchanges him for Yashoda’s daughter. According to Purana legends, when Kamsa tries to kill the newborn, the exchanged baby appears as the Hindu goddess Yogamaya, warning him that his death has arrived in his kingdom, and then disappears.

Krishna grows up near modern-day Mathura with Nanda and his wife, Yashoda. According to these legends, two of Krishna’s siblings, Balarama and Subhadra, also survive. Krishna Janmashtami commemorates the day Krishna was born. The Janmasthan is next to a mosque, and according to history, the Mughals built the mosque by destroying an existing temple where it is said that lord Krishna was born, and the temple has been destroyed and rebuilt many times in its history. Today, the temple next to the actual temple site is one of India’s most popular tourist destinations.

History of Shri Krishna Janm Bhumi Temple

According to legend, Krishna’s great-grandson Vajranabh built a temple in his birthplace. Katra Keshavdeva was the name given to the current site of Krishna Janmasthan. Archaeological excavations at the site revealed pottery and terracotta dating back to the sixth century BC. It also created some Jain sculptures and a large Buddhist complex that included Yasha Vihara. The Vaishnava temple could have been built there as early as the first century. In 400CE, Gupta Emperor Chandragupta II rebuilt an entirely new magnificent temple complex on the site. Inscriptions from the late eighth century also mention Rashtrakuta donations to the site.

In the early 16th century, Vaishnava saints Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Vallabhacharya visited Mathura. In Tarikh-i-Daudi, Abdullah, during the reign of Mughal emperor Jehangir, mentions the destruction of Mathura and its temples by Delhi Sultan Sikandar Lodi in the 16th century. Lodi forbade Hindus from bathing in the river and shaving their heads on its banks. In 1618, during the reign of Jehangir, Raja Veer Singh Deva Bundela of Orchha built a temple for thirty-three lakhs. Tavernier, a French traveller who visited Mathura in 1650, described the octagonal temple built of red sandstone.

Niccolao Manucci, an Italian traveller who worked in the Mughal court, also described the temple. Dara Shikoh, a Mughal prince, patronised the temple and donated a railing. On the order of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, Mathura governor Abdun Nabi Khan removed the railing and built the Jama mosque on the ruins of the Hindu temples. Abdul Nabi Khan was assassinated in Mathura during the Jat rebellion in 1669. In 1670, Aurangzeb attacked Mathura and destroyed the Keshavdeva temple, replacing it with the Shahi Eidgah.

The British took over Mathura after the end of Mughal rule in 1804. Following Malaviya’s death, Jugal Kishore Birla established the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Trust, later renamed the Shri Krishna Janmasthan Seva Sansthan, on 21 February 1951, and purchased the land. The construction of the new temple was entrusted to another industrialist and philanthropist, Jaidayal Dalmia.

The Shri Krishna Janm Bhumi Temple complex’s construction began in October 1953 with land levelling and was completed in February 1982. Vishnu Hari Dalmia, his eldest son, succeeded him and served on the Trust until his death. Anurag Dalmia, his grandson, is the Trust’s Joint Managing Trustee. Other business families, including Ramnath Goenka, contributed to the construction. Ramkrishna Dalmia built the Keshavdeva Temple in memory of his mother, Jadiadevi Dalmia. The temple’s construction began on June 29, 1957, and it was dedicated on September 6, 1958, by Hanuman Prasad Poddar. It is situated to the south of the Shahi Eidgah.

Shahi Eidgah is said to have been built on the original temple’s sabha mandapa (assembly hall), with the garbha griha (sanctum santorum) remaining. It is thought to be the location of Krishna’s birth in the prison cell. On the site, a marble pavilion and an underground prison cell with a spacious veranda were built. A shrine dedicated to the eight-handed goddess Yogmaya is nearby. It’s against the back wall of the Shahi Eidgah. The Original temple site is still waiting for the court order just like Shree Ram Janmbhumi Temple Case.

The architecture of Shri Krishna Janm Bhumi Temple

The temple is divided into three sections: Garbhagriha (birthplace), Keshavadeva, and the Bhagvata Bhavan. Another temple dedicated to the Ashthabhuja Ma Yogmaya stands near the sanctum sanctorum’s entrance. The prison cell was gradually transformed into the current lovely temple. The temple and the mosque share a common wall, and devotees must pass through a security checkpoint.

This site has yielded several artefacts, as well as utensils, old statues, and a rock-based slab. The artefacts are on display in a museum close to the main temple, which should not be missed. On the temple grounds, shrines are also dedicated to other Hindu gods.

Facts about Shri Krishna Janm Bhumi Temple

• Shri Krishna Janm Bhumi Temple is the most well-known temple in Mathura. The temple is the most important site for Lord Krishna devotees and Hindus in general.
• The Hindus have a strong devotional attachment to the site where lord Krishna was born, and almost every Hindu visits it at least once in his or her lifetime.
• Shri Krishna Janm Bhumi Temple, also known as the Katra Keshav Dev temple, is Lord Krishna’s actual birthplace.
• During the reign of Emperor Chandragupta Vikramaditya (4th century CE), a larger temple was built to replace the old temple. This temple was once one of the most magnificent in India until it was destroyed by Ghazni Mahmud in the 11th century.
• Inside the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi Temple in Mathura is a prison-like structure with a slab, and it is believed that only Lord Shri Krishna was born on that slab.
• During the reign of Mughal ruler Aurangzeb, the temple was demolished and a mosque was built on its site. The current Krishna Janm Bhoomi Temple was built in the mid-twentieth century.
• Ramkrishna Dalmia constructed the Keshavdeva Temple in memory of his mother, Jadiadevi Dalmia. The temple’s construction began on June 29, 1957, and it was dedicated on September 6, 1958, by Hanuman Prasad Poddar. It is situated to the south of the Shahi Eidgah.
• Inside the Shree Krishna Janmasthan Temple, you can see the unique architecture and artwork that depicts all of Lord Krishna’s significant events. The innate craftsmanship and stunning colour play bring the entire temple complex to life.

Famous Festivals In Shri Krishna Janm Bhumi Temple

• Krishna Janmashtami – Lord Krishna was born on Ashtami, the eighth day of the Hindu month of Bhadra. The celebrations at the Temple begin early in the morning and continue until late at night.
• Holi – This festival is celebrated in the month of  Phalgun (Feb – March). During the celebration, people celebrate with colours and also celebrate and enjoy in temples complex.
• Vaikuntha Ekadashi – Vaikuntha Ekadashi celebrated during the month of Margazhi (December–January) is the major festival celebrated in the temple.
• Chitra Poornima is also a major occasion for celebration in the temple.

How To reach Shri Krishna Janm Bhumi Temple

The best time to visit the Shri Krishna Janm Bhumi Temple is between November and February, and during Janmashtami which is celebrated grandly here.

By Air: Mathura is 46 kilometres from Kheria Airport in Agra, Uttar Pradesh. Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi, Delhi is 136 kilometres away from Shri Krishna Janm Bhumi Temple.

By Rail: Regular trains run from other major cities to Mathura. The Shri Krishna Janm Bhumi Temple is 1.8 km from the Mathura Railway station. The Best Way to Reach Mathura is Via New Delhi.

By Road: State Transport Bus services connect Mathura with Jaipur, New Delhi, Noida and other major cities. By Road, you can reach Mathura in Just 2 Hours from New Delhi.

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