In Mathura, especially holy places are Madhuvana, Kundavana, Kamyakavana, Mahavana, Vrindavana, Vimalakunda, Nagatirtha, Manasa and Ghantabharana.

Akruratirtha in Mathura is a favourite resort of Vishnu. One who bathes there obtains punya equivalent to the punya obtained from performing a rajasuya yajna (royal sacrifice). A person who performs funeral rites there immediately liberates his dead ancestors.

In Akruratirtha lived a wealthy vaishya named Sudhanu. His neighbour Agnidatta was a thief and when Agnidatta died, he became a demon. Sudhanu was a devotee of Vishnu’s and used to sing and dance in front of Vishnu’s image in a temple. One night, Sudhanu was going to the temple to sing and dance. But the demon caught hold of him and threatened to eat him up. Promising to return after he had worshipped Vishnu, Sudhanu went to the temple. Vishnu tried to dissuade Sudhanu from returning to the demon, but Sudhanu would not go back on his word. The demon was so pleased at Sudhanu sticking to his promise that he promosed to let the vaishya go if Sudhanu would transfer to the demon all the punya that he had obtained through singing and dancing in front of Vishnu’s image. So great was this punya that as soon as Sudhanu handed it over, the demon was freed from its predicament.
If one offers oblations to one’s dead ancestors in Mathura or circumambulates the city, one attains great punya. But the circumambulation has to be done on foot. A prince once began the circumambulation on horseback and with an attendant. In the course of the trip, the prince, the attendant and the horse died. The horse and the attendant were instantly liberated, but not the prince. Since haya means horse and mukti means liberation, this part of Mathura is known as Hayamukti.