Temples in Mathura

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Krishna Janmasthan

The main temple here is called the Keshava Deo Temple. The Deities in the temple are Radha-Krishna. Lord Kesava, one of the four presiding Deities of Vrindavana, was installed here by Vajranabha, but the original Deity is now in Rajdhani, a small village near Kanpur. The central Deities in the temple are Radha-Kesava. On the left altar, by the entrance door, are Lord Jagannath, Balarama, and Subhadra, being looked at by Sri Caitanya. On the right altar are Sita, Rama, and Laksman. Across from them is Hanuman. There is a Siva-linga called Sri Keshaveshwar in front of the Deities of Sita-Rama. Directly across from this Siva-linga is Durga Devi.

There have been several major temples built on this site. The first temple here was constructed almost 5000 years ago by Vajranabha, the great-grandson of Lord Krishna. The next big temple was constructed here during the time of the Gupta Emperor Chandragupta Vikramaditya around 400 AD. This temple was so grand that it was said that neither painting nor description could describe it. This temple was destroyed by Mahmud of Ghazni.

Another temple was built here in 1150. Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu visited this temple. This temple was destroyed in the sixteenth century during the reign of Sikandar Lodi.

During the reign of Jahangir, Raja Veer Singh Deva Bundela of Orchha constructed another temple about 250 feet high at the cost of Rs 3.3 million. In 1669 Aurangzeb had this temple destroyed and had a mosque, which is still there, built from the materials of the temple.

Construction started on the present temple in 1951, and the Deities were installed in 1958. The temple cost Rs 15 million to construct.

Next to the temple is a small room that looks like a prison cell, where it is said that Lord Krishna appeared.

Others say that Krishna's appearance place is about 250 yards away, at a small temple near Potra kund. At this other temple there are deities of Vasudeva, Devaki, and four-armed Krishna. Just behind this place is Jnana Vapi where Lord Caitanya stayed while in Mathura.