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96-634: According to the scholar Guy L. Beck, the Radha Vallabha Sampradaya has the following features, in comparison with Krishnaite traditions . The main scriptures of the sampradaya created in regional Braj Bhasha with status of the heaven language. The Shri Radha Vallabh Temple in Vrindavan , Mathura is a very famous temple of the same preaching. This temple is among the most famous 7 temples of Thakur of Vrindavan including Radha Vallabha, Govinda, Banke Bihari and four others. In this temple, there

192-400: A Telugu -origin philosopher Nimbarkacharya (12th or 13th century CE), a founder of the first Bhakti-era Krishnaite Nimbarka Sampradaya ( a.k.a. Kumara sampradaya), and his an Odisha -born friend, poet Jayadeva , author of Gita Govinda . Both promoted Radha Krishna to be the supreme lord while the ten incarnations are his forms. Nimbarka more than any other acharyas gave Radha

288-537: A committee of trustees (goshtijana), built a large temple of Vishnu, brilliantly white and touching the clouds. Jajja was a vassal of the Gahadavalas in charge of Mathura, and the committee mentioned in the prasasti could have been of an earlier Vaishnava temple. The temple built by Jajja at Katra was destroyed by the forces of Qutubuddin Aibak , though Feroz Tughlaq (r. 1351–88 CE) was also said to have attacked it. It

384-526: A divine figure, largely like Krishna with some elements of Vishnu. The alvars, whose name can be translated "sages" or "saints", were devotees of Mal. Their poems show a pronounced orientation to the Vaishnava, and often Krishna, side of Mal. But they do not make the distinction between Krishna and Vishnu on the basis of the concept of the avatars. Yet, according to Hardy the term "Mayonism" should be used instead of "Krishnaism" when referring to Mal or Mayon. At

480-495: A great and well populated city, with splendid buildings and a great circuit of walls. The ruins plainly indicate how imposing its buildings were. For out of these forgotten ruins are dug up columns and very ancient statues, of skilful and cunning workmanship. Only one Hindu temple is left out of many; for the Musalmans have completely destroyed all except the pyramids. Huge crowds of pilgrims come from all over India to this temple, which

576-552: A knower of truth and destroyer of oppression as the zephyr of the garden of victory and the reviver of the faith of the Prophet, issued orders for the demolition of the temple situated in Mathura, famous as the Dehra of Kesho Rai. In a short time by the great exertions of his officers, the destruction of this strong foundation of infidelity was accomplished and on its site a lofty mosque was built by

672-612: A non-sectarian syncretic Vaishnavite and pan-Hindu cult. According to the Vishnudharma Purana ( c. 4th century), Krishna is woshipped in the form of Purushottama in Odra ( Odisha ). The Jagannath temple in Puri , Odisha is particularly significant within the tradition and one of the major pilgrimage destinations for Hindus since about 800 CE, later became a centre of attraction for a number of both Krishnaite and other Vaishnava acharyas, and

768-568: A passage in the Vayu Purana as Samkarsana, Vasudev , Pradyumna, Samba, and Aniruddha. The English translation of the inscription read:- . . . of the son of mahakṣatrapa Rāṃjūvula, svāmi . . . The images of the holy paṃcavīras of the Vṛṣṇis is... the stone shrine... whom the magnificent matchless stone house of Toṣā was erected and maintained... five objects of adoration made of stone, radiant, as it were with highest beauty... The Mathura inscription of

864-462: A pilgrimage which began at Mathura, then proceeded to Gokul , the Yamuna , the pool of Kaliya, Vrindavan , Govardhan , and finished at Dwarka . The eleventh century Kashmiri poet, Bilhana visited Mathura and Vrindavan after leaving Kashmir en route to Karnataka. The city was sacked and many of its temples destroyed by Mahmud of Ghazni in 1018 CE. The capture of Mathura by Maḥmūd Ibn Sebüktegīn

960-1126: A place as a deity. Since 15th century in Bengal and Assam flourished Tantric variety of Krishnaism— Vaishnava-Sahajiya linked to the Bengali poet Chandidas , as well as related to it Bauls —where Krishna is the inner divine aspect of man and Radha is the aspect of woman. Chandidas' Shrikrishna Kirtana , a poem on Krishna and Radha, depicts them as divine couple, but in human love. The other 15th–16th centuries Bhakti poet- sants – Vidyapati , Meera Bai , Surdas , Swami Haridas , as well as Narsinh Mehta (1350–1450), who preceded all of them, also wrote about Radha and Krishna love. The most emerged Krishnaite guru-acharyas of 15th–16th centuries were Vallabhacharya in Braj , Sankardev in Assam , and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in Bengal . They developed their own schools, namely Pushtimarg sampradaya of Vallabha, Gaudiya Vaishnavism , a.k.a. Chaitanya Sampradaya (rather, Chaitanya

1056-483: A place where for the first time the famous poem Gita Govinda was introduced into the liturgy. Vaishnavism in the 8th century came into contact with the Advaita doctrine of Adi Shankara . Vasudeva has been interpreted by Adi Shankara , using the earlier Vishnu Purana as a support, as meaning the "supreme self" or Vishnu, dwelling everywhere and in all things. At this period emerged one of key texts for Krishnaites,

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1152-535: A respectable family in Bhagalpur, Bihár, and was an excellent soldier, administrator, and companion; he was at the same time so learned, that he was ordered to assist in the compilation of the Fatáwá i 'Alamgiri [the great code of Muhammadan laws]. He received a daily allowance of three rupees.'+ (Haásir i ’Alamgiri, pp. 92 to 91.) Hasan ’Alí Khán retained his office from 1080 to Sha'bán 1087 (October, 1676), when Sulțán Qulí Khán

1248-506: A transcended Supreme Being. At the same time, Friedhelm Hardy does not at all define Krishnaism as a suborder or offshoot of Vaishnavism, considering it a parallel and no less ancient current of Hinduism. And, in accordance with Dandekar , the "Vasudevism" (the Vasudeva cult) is the beginning stage of Vaishnavism, hence, Krishnaism was basis for later Vaishnavism. Vishnuism believes in Vishnu as

1344-467: Is Krishna—often together with his consort Radha as deity Radha Krishna —sometimes referred as intimate deity — as compared with the numerous four-armed forms of Narayana or Vishnu. Krishna is also worshiped across many other traditions of Hinduism. Krishna is often described as having the appearance of a dark-skinned person and is depicted as a young cowherd boy playing a flute or as a youthful prince giving philosophical direction and guidance, as in

1440-553: Is adjacent to Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi believed to be over a Hindu temple . He also changed the city's name to Islamabad. In 1669, Aurangzeb issued a general order for the demolition of Hindu schools and temples, in 1670, specifically ordered the destruction of the Keshavadeva temple. Saqi Mustaid Khan recorded: On Thursday, 27th January/15 Ramzan (27 January 1670)... the Emperor as the promoter of justice and overthrower of mischief, as

1536-669: Is also believed to be the homeland and birthplace of Krishna, who belonged to the Yadu dynasty. According to the Archaeological Survey of India plaque at the Mathura Museum , the city is mentioned in the oldest Indian epic, the Ramayana . In the epic, the Ikshwaku prince Shatrughna slays a demon called Lavanasura and claims the land. Afterwards, the place came to be known as Madhuvan as it

1632-456: Is an important group of temples built around what is considered to be the birthplace of Krishna . The temple complex contains Keshav Deva temple, Garbha Griha shrine, Bhagavata Bhavan and the Rangabhoomi where the final battle between Krishna and Kamsa took place. The Dwarkadheesh Temple is one of the largest temples in Mathura. Vishram Ghat at the bank of river Yamuna is said to be

1728-409: Is believed that it was founded by Shatrughna after killing Yadava Lavana at the site of Madhuvana. According to Ramayana it was founded by Madhu (a man of the Yadu tribe ). Later on Madhu's son Lavanasura was defeated by Satrughana. Madhu says all the territory of Mathura belongs to Abhiras . Mathura, which lies at the centre of the cultural region of Braj has an ancient history and

1824-404: Is conditionally Krishnaite, representing such current as Radhaism , due to the worship of Radha as the supreme deity, where Krishna is only her most intimate servant. The term "Krishnaism" has been used to describe the schools, related to Vaishnavism , but focused on Krishna, while "Vishnuism/Vaishnavism" may be used for traditions focusing on Vishnu in which Krishna is an avatar, rather than

1920-525: Is considered as difficult because of rituals due to which the "patt" gets closed. This temple with Madan teer and Seva kunj with Maharasmandal are held by the Tikaet Adhyaksh and are considered as Radha Vallabha's property. In this temple Radhastami is celebrated largely which is a festival on the birthday of Radha. The kirtan "Samaj-Gayan" is the Radha-vallabha's collective style of hymn singing by

2016-639: Is described by the historian al-Utbi (Abu Nasr Muhammad ibn Muhammad al Jabbaru-l 'Utbi) in his work Tarikh Yamini as follows: The wall of the city was constructed of hard stone, and two gates opened upon the river flowing under the city, which were erected upon strong and lofty foundations, to protect them against the floods of the river and rains. On both sides of the city there were a thousand houses, to which idol temples were attached, all strengthened from top to bottom by rivets of iron, and all made of masonry work; and opposite to them were other buildings, supported on broad wooden pillars, to give them strength. In

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2112-551: Is established as Radha Vallabha Sampradaya by the Braj -language poet-sant Hith Harivansh Mahaprabhu and who emphasized devotion to Radha as the ultimate supreme deity. The Pranami Sampradaya (Pranami Panth) emerged in the 17th century in Gujarat , based on the Krishna-focussed syncretist Hindu- Islamic teachings of a Sindh -born Devchandra Maharaj (1581–1655) and his famous successor, Mahamati Prannath (1618–1694). During

2208-594: Is how the practice arose of ladies accompanying military expeditions. The mother of Peshwa Balaji Baji Rao , Kashitai performed her famous pilgrimage for four years in the north, visiting Mathura, Prayag , Ayodhya , Banaras , and other holy places. Mathura is a holy city in Hinduism and is considered the heart of Brij Bhoomi , the land of Krishna. The twin-city to Mathura is Vrindavan . There are many places of historic and religious importance in Mathura and its neighbouring towns. Krishna Janmasthan Temple Complex

2304-464: Is its difference from such Vaishnavite groupings as Sri Vaishnavism , Sadh Vaishnavism , Ramaism , Radhaism , Sitaism etc. There is also a personal Krishnaism, that is devotion to Krishna outside of any tradition and community, as in the case of the saint-poet Meera Bai . Leading scholars do not define Krishnaism as a suborder or offshoot of Vaishnavism, considering it at least a parallel and no less ancient current of Hinduism. The teachings of

2400-424: Is located 57.6 kilometres (35.8 mi) north of Agra , and 146 kilometres (91 mi) south-east of Delhi ; about 14.5 kilometres (9.0 mi) from the town of Vrindavan , and 22 kilometres (14 mi) from Govardhan . In ancient times, Mathura was an economic hub, located at the junction of important caravan routes. The 2011 Census of India estimated the population of Mathura at 441,894. In Hinduism ,

2496-431: Is no idol of Radha, but a 'Gādī Sevā' is placed next to Krishna to signify her presence. The Shri Radha Vallabh Temple was founded by Hith Harivansh Mahaprabhu who is worshipped in the adjacent temple of Radha Vallabha which was earlier Radhavallabha's temple, but because of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb 's attack on Vrindavan he was shifted to other place and then the new temple was built. The Yugal Darshan of Radhavallabha

2592-590: Is notable for archaeological artefacts, especially those from the Kushan and Gupta empires. It has sculptures associated with Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. Krishna Janmashtami is grandly celebrated every year in Mathura. Every year 3 to 3.5 million devotees celebrate Janmashtami in Mathura, with the maximum number of devotees visiting the Keshav Deva temple and the Dwarkadheesh temple. Devotees generally observe

2688-562: Is often also called Bhagavatism, after the Bhagavata Purana which asserts that Krishna is "Bhagavan Himself," and subordinates to itself all other forms: Vishnu , Narayana , Purusha , Ishvara , Hari , Vāsudeva , Janardana , and so on. Vaishnavism is a monotheistic religion , centered on the devotion of Vishnu and his avatars. It is sometimes described as a "polymorphic monotheism", since there are many forms of one original deity, with Vishnu taking many forms. In Krishnaism this deity

2784-616: Is said that the different expansions of the Svayam bhagavan are uncountable and they cannot be fully described in the finite scriptures of any one religious community. Many of the Hindu scriptures sometimes differ in details reflecting the concerns of a particular tradition, while some core features of the view on Krishna are shared by all. The most remarkable Hindu scriptures for the Krishnaites became Bhagavad Gita , Harivamsa (appendix to

2880-600: Is situated on the high bank of the Jomanis ( Yamuna )... The Keshavadeva temple was rebuilt by the Bundela Rajput Rajah Vir Singh Deo at a cost of thirty-three lakh rupees when the gold was priced at around ₹ 10/- per tola . And the grand structure of the temple in Mathura was regarded a "wonder of the age". The Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb , built the Shahi-Eidgah Mosque during his rule, which

2976-672: The Bhagavad Gita can be considered as the first Krishnaite system of theology . Krishnaism originated in the late centuries BCE from the followers of the heroic Vāsudeva Krishna , which amalgamated several centuries later, in the early centuries CE, with the worshipers of the "divine child" Bala Krishna and the Gopala-Krishna traditions of monotheistic Bhagavatism . These non-Vedic traditions in Mahabharata canon affiliate itself with ritualistic Vedism in order to become acceptable to

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3072-402: The Bhagavad Gita , initially focusing on the worship of the heroic Vāsudeva Krishna in the region of Mathura , the "divine child" Bala Krishna and Gopala-Krishna . It is closely related to, and find its origin in, Bhagavatism . Krishnaism is a non-Vedic tradition in origin, but it further developed its appeal towards orthodox believers through the syncretism of these traditions with

3168-635: The Bhagavata Purana , that promotes bhakti (devotion) to Krishna. In it one reads: Kṛṣņa is Bhagavān himself Another notable bouquet of glory of Krishna was the poems in Sanskrit, possibly by Bilvamangala from Kerala , the Balagopala Stuti ("The Childhood of Krishna") and the Shree Krishna Karnamrutam (also called Lilasuka , "Playful parrot"), that later became a favorite text of

3264-493: The Bhagavad Gita . Krishna and the stories associated with him appear across a broad spectrum of different Hindu philosophical and theological traditions, where it is believed that God appears to his devoted worshippers in many different forms, depending on their particular desires. These forms include the different avataras of Krishna described in traditional Vaishnavite texts, but they are not limited to these. Indeed, it

3360-470: The Hindustani classical music forms, such " dhrupad " and " dhamar ". Krishnaism Krishnaism is a term used in scholarly circles to describe large group of independent Hindu traditions— sampradayas related to Vaishnavism —that center on the devotion to Krishna as Svayam Bhagavan , Ishvara , Para Brahman , who is the source of all reality, not simply an avatar of Vishnu . This

3456-656: The Mahabharata epic. In particular Krishnaism incorporated more or less superficially the Vedic supreme deity Vishnu, who appears in the Rigveda . Krishnaism further becomes associated with bhakti yoga in the Medieval period. Krishnaite theology and cult originate in the first millennium BCE in the Northern India . The theology of the Bhagavad Gita (around 3rd–2nd centuries BCE) was

3552-599: The Mahabharata ), and Bhagavata Purana (especially the 10th Canto). While every tradition of Krishnaism has its own canon, in all Krishna is accepted as a teacher of the path in the scriptures Bhagavad Gita and the Bhagavata Purana—"the Bible of Krishnaism". As Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita, establishing the basis of Krishnaism himself: In Gaudiya Vaishnava , Vallabha Sampradaya , Nimbarka sampradaya and

3648-628: The Shri Radhacharita Mahakavyam —the 1980s epic poem of Kalika Prasad Shukla that focuses on devotion to Krishna as the universal lover—"one of the rare, high-quality works in Sanskrit in the twentieth century." Krishnaite traditions are mainly subdivided into three categories: Radha Krishna as the Supreme Krishna with Rukmini as the Supreme Krishna as the Supreme Remark : Radha Vallabh Sampradaya

3744-626: The Yavanarajya inscription , which was found in Maghera , a town 17 kilometres (11 mi) from Mathura. The opening of the 3 line text of this inscription in Brahmi script translates as: "In the 116th year of the Yavana kingdom..." or '"In the 116th year of Yavana hegemony" (" Yavanarajya ") However, this also corresponds to the presence of the native Mitra dynasty of local rulers in Mathura, in approximately

3840-464: The orthodox establishment. Krishnaism becomes associated with bhakti yoga and bhakti movement in the Medieval period. The most remarkable Hindu scriptures for the Krishnaites became Bhagavad Gita , Harivamsa (appendix to the Mahabharata), Bhagavata Purana , Brahma Vaivarta Purana and Garga Samhita . Krishnaism originates in the first millennium BCE, as the theological system of

3936-568: The 1890s in Bengal, Mahanam Sampradaya emerged as an offshoot of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Prabhu Jagadbandhu was considered a new incarnation of Krishna, Chaitanya Mahaprabhu and Nityananda by his followers. At the beginning of the 20th century the first attempts at a Krishnaite mission in the West began. A pioneer of American mission has become Baba Premananda Bharati (1858–1914) from the circle of mentioned Prabhu Jagadbandhu . Baba Bharati founded in 1902

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4032-472: The 18th century at Kolkata existed the Sakhībhāvakas community, whose members ware female dress in order to identify themselves with the gopis , companions of Radha. In non-Indo-Aryan Manipur region, after a short period of Ramaism penetration, Gaudiya Vaishnavism spread, especially from beginning the second quarter of the 18th century ( Manipuri Vaishnavism , the lineage of Natottama Thakura ). In

4128-510: The Bengali acharya Chaitanya Mahaprabhu . This is the most important period, it was at this time that Krishnaism acquired the form in which its traditions exist to nowadays. The bhakti movement of the high and later Middle Ages Hinduism emerges in the 9th or 10th century, and is based (its Krishnaite form) on the Bhagavata Purana , Narada Bhakti Sutra , and other scriptures. In North and East India, Krishnaism gave rise to various Medieval movements. Early Bhakti Krishnaite pioneers include

4224-948: The Order of Living Service and the AUM Temple of Universal Truth. Within Gaudiya Vaishnavism in 20th century was also established the reform Gaudiya Math and its largest worldwide successor, the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (a.k.a. Hare Krishna Movement), formed in New York by acharya A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada . There is the number of neo-Hindu Krishnaite organisations only partially related to traditional sampradayas, such as Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat , Jagadguru Kripaluji Yog , and westernezed Science of Identity Foundation . Krishnaite authors continue to create major theological and poetic works. For instance,

4320-742: The Sanskrit traditions of Krishna and his gopi companions, so ubiquitous in later North Indian text and imagery. Early writings in Dravidian culture such as Manimekalai and the Cilappatikaram present Krishna, his brother , and favourite female companions in the similar terms. Hardy argues that the Sanskrit Bhagavata Purana is essentially a Sanskrit "translation" of the bhakti of the Tamil alvars . Devotion to southern Indian Mal ( Thirumal ) may be an early form of Krishnaism, since Mal appears as

4416-502: The Yadavas. Worship of Krishna, the deified tribal hero and religious leader of the Yadavas, took denominational form as the Pancaratra and earlier as Bhagavata religions. This tradition has at a later stage merged with the tradition of Narayana . The character of Gopala Krishna is often considered to be non-Vedic. By the time of its incorporation into the Mahabharata canon during

4512-489: The bathing-stairs leading to the river, and ordered that no Hindus should be allowed to bathe there. He forbade the barbers to shave the beards and heads of the inhabitants, in order to prevent the Hindus following their usual practices at such pilgrimages. In Tarikh-i Daudi, of 'Abdu-lla (written during the time of Jahangir ) said of Sikandar Lodi: He was so zealous a Musulman that he utterly destroyed divers places of worship of

4608-532: The birthplace of Krishna , one of the main deities in that religion, is believed to be located in Mathura at the Krishna Janmasthan Temple Complex . It is one of the Sapta Puri , the seven cities considered holy by Hindus , also is called Mokshyadayni Tirth. The Kesava Deo Temple was built in ancient times on the site of Krishna's birthplace (an underground prison ). Mathura was the capital of

4704-475: The city in 634 CE, mentions it as Mot'ulo, recording that it contained twenty Buddhist monasteries and many Hindu temples. Later, he went east to Thanesar , Jalandhar in the 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 famous female Alvar saint, Andal visualised going to

4800-567: The city was sacked again by Sikandar Lodi, who ruled the Sultanate of Delhi from 1489 to 1517 CE. Sikandar Lodi earned the epithet of 'Butt Shikan', the 'Destroyer of Idols'. Ferishta recorded that Sikandar Lodi was a staunch Muslim, with a passion for vandalising heathen temples: He was firmly attached to the Mahomedan religion, and made a point of destroying all Hindu temples. In the city of Mathura he caused masjids and bazaars to be built opposite

4896-656: The dancing peacocks, while sitting in a pleasant cave of the Goverdhan Mountain" Chinese Buddhist Monk Faxian mentions the city as a centre of Buddhism about 400 CE. He found the people were very well off, there were no taxes other than for those on farmers who tilled the royal land. He found that people did not kill animals, no one consumed wine, and did not eat onion or garlic. He found that engraved title deeds were issued to land owners. Visiting priests were provided with accommodation, beds, mats, food, drinks and clothes to perform scholarly works. Xuanzang , who visited

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4992-604: The early centuries CE, Krishnaism began to affiliate itself with Vedism in order to become acceptable to orthodoxy, in particular aligning itself with Rigvedic Vishnu. At this stage that Vishnu of the Rig Veda was assimilated into Krishnaism and became the equivalent of the Supreme God. The appearance of Krishna as one of the Avatars of Vishnu dates to the period of the Sanskrit epics in

5088-638: The early centuries CE. The Bhagavad Gita was incorporated into the Mahabharata as a key text for Krishnaism. By the Early Middle Ages , Krishnaism had risen to a major current of Vaishnavism. According to Friedhelm Hardy , there is evidence of early "southern Krishnaism," despite the tendency to allocate the Krishna-traditions to the Northern traditions. South Indian texts show close parallel with

5184-434: The entire quantity of gold yielded by the bodies of these idols, was ninety-eight thousand three hundred miskals. The idols of silver amounted to two hundred, but they could not be weighed without breaking them to pieces and putting them into scales. The Sultan gave orders that all the temples should be burnt with naphtha and fire, and levelled with the ground. The temple at Katra was sacked by Maḥmūd Ibn Sebüktegīn . A temple

5280-412: The epoch of the great Kushan emperors Kanishka, Huvishka , Vasudeva whose reign represents the Golden Age of Mathura sculpture . During the third century, Nagas ruled Mathura after decline of Kushan Empire. In the reign of Chandragupta Vikramaditya , a magnificent temple of Vishnu was built at the site of Katra Keshavadeva. Kalidasa , hailed as the greatest poet and dramatist in Sanskrit , in

5376-419: The expenditure of a large sum... Praised be the august God of the faith of Islam, that in the auspicious reign of this destroyer of infidelity and turbulence, such a wonderful and seemingly impossible work was successfully accomplished. On seeing this instance of the strength of the emperor's faith and the grandeur of his devotion to God, the proud Rajas were stifled, and in amazement they stood like images facing

5472-409: The first Krishnaite theological system, if, according to Friedhelm Hardy , to read Gita as itself and not in the light of the Mahabharata frame with Vishnu-focussed doctrine. There is no concept of the avatara , which was introduced only in 4th or 5th century CE. There is Krishna as an eternal himself, unmanifest Vishnu. As Krishna says: Whenever dharma suffering a decline, I emit myself [into

5568-409: The fourth-fifth century CE mentioned the groves of Vrindavan and Govardhan hill as: "...the king of Mathura, whose fame was acknowledged in song even by the devatas... At that moment, though still in Mathura, it appears as if Ganga has merged with Yamuna at the Sangam... In a Vrindavan garden which is superior even to Kubera's garden, known as Chaitra-ratha... You can, as well, during rains, look at

5664-453: The holy places with the result that they have become infected with evil. Besides, the holy people are full of sorrow. At such a time Krishna alone is my way. The Portuguese , Father Antonio Monserrate (1536 CE-1600 CE), who was on a Jesuit mission at the Mughal Court during the times of Akbar , visited Mathura in 1580–82, and noted that all temples built at sites associated with the deeds of Krishna were in ruins:- It (Mathura) used to be

5760-485: The idolatrous rites of the infidels there; and no Hindu, if he wished to have his head or beard shaved, could get a barber to do it. Every city thus conformed as he desired to the customs of Islam. Vallabhacharya and Chaitanya Mahaprabhu arrived in the Braj region, in search of sacred places that had been destroyed or lost. In Shrikrsnashrayah , that make up the Sodashagrantha , Vallabha said of his age: The Malechchhas (non-Hindus in this context) have surrounded all

5856-470: The idols there were five made of red gold, each five yards high, fixed in the air without support. In the eyes of one of these idols there were two rubies, of such value, that if any one were to sell such as are like them, he would obtain fifty thousand dinars. On another, there was a sapphire purer than water, and more sparkling than crystal; the weight was four hundred and fifty miskals. The two feet of another idol weighed four thousand four hundred miskals, and

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5952-433: The infidels, and left not a vestige remaining of them. He entirely ruined the shrines of Mathura, the mine of heathenism, and turned their principal Hindu places of worship into caravanserais and colleges. Their stone images were given to the butchers to serve them as meat-weights, and all the Hindus in Mathura were strictly prohibited from shaving their heads and beards, and performing their ablutions. He thus put an end to all

6048-435: The kingdom of Surasena , ruled by Kamsa , the maternal uncle of Krishna. Mathura is part of the Krishna circuit (Mathura, Vrindavan, Barsana , Govardhan , Kurukshetra , Dwarka and Bhalka ). Krishna Janmashtami is grandly celebrated in Mathura every year. Mathura has been chosen as one of the heritage cities for the Heritage City Development and Augmentation Yojana scheme of Government of India. Traditionally it

6144-422: The middle of the city there was a temple larger and firmer than the rest, which can neither be described nor painted. The Sultan thus wrote respecting it :— " If any should wish to construct a building equal to this, he would not be able to do it without expending an hundred thousand thousand red dinars, and it would occupy two hundred years, even though the most experienced and able workmen were employed." Among

6240-407: The modern pilgrimage circuit. "The rebellion in Mathurá district seems to have gained ground. 'On the 14th Rajab, 1080, [28 November 1669], his Majesty left Dihlí for Akbarábád, and almost daily enjoyed the pleasures of the chase. On the 21st Rajab, whilst hunting, he received the report of a rebellion having broken out at Mauza' Rewarah, Chandarkah, and Surkhrú. Hasan 'Ali Khán was ordered to attack

6336-527: The next four hundred years the Jains and Hindus were unable to erect any temples that were not sooner or later demolished. Many of the sites that had been places of religious importance were abandoned and gradually sank beneath the earth. But some of them were not forgotten, owing to the persistence of oral tradition, the refashioning of a temple into a mosque, or the presence of humble shrines, some of which housed sculptural fragments of earlier buildings. Several of them have survived as places of significance in

6432-405: The old Bhagavat school, Krishna is believed to be fully represented in his original form in the Bhagavata Purana, that at the end of the list of avataras concludes with the following assertion: Mathura Mathura ( Hindi pronunciation: [mɐ.t̪ʰʊ.ɾäː] , ) is a city and the administrative headquarters of Mathura district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh . It

6528-418: The physical world] Early Krishnaism already flourished several centuries BCE with the cult of the heroic Vāsudeva Krishna in and around the region of Mathura , which, several centuries later, was amalgamated with the cult of the "divine child" Bala Krishna and the Gopala traditions. While Vishnu is attested already in the Rigveda as a minor deity, the development of Krishnaism appears to take place via

6624-567: The place were Krishna had rested after killing Kamsa . Other notable Hindu religious sites and heritage locations includes the Gita Mandir, Govind Dev temple, ISKCON temple, Kusum Sarovar , Naam yog Sadhna Mandir , Peepleshwar Mahadeo Temple and Yum Yamuna Temple Kankali Tila brought forth many treasures of Jain art. The archaeological findings testify the existence of two Jain temples and stupas. Numerous Jain sculptures, Ayagapatas (tablet of homage), pillars, crossbeams and lintels were found during archaeological excavations. Some of

6720-410: The rebels at night, which he did, and the firing lasted till 12 o'clock the next day. The rebels, unable longer to withstand, thinking of the honour of their families, now fought with short arms, and many imperial soldiers and companions of Hasan ’Alí were killed. Three hundred rebels were sent to perdition, and two hundred and fifty, men and women, caught. Hasan ’Alí, in the afternoon, reported personally

6816-401: The region and reached new heights and is now famously known as the Mathura School of Art . The Kushans took control of Mathura some time after Mahakshatrapa Sodasa , although several of his successors ruled as Kushans vassals, such as the Indo-Scythian "Great Satrap" Kharapallana and the "Satrap" Vanaspara , both of whom paid allegiance to the Kushans in an inscription at Sarnath , dating to

6912-492: The reign of the Indo-Scythian Mahakshatrapa ("Great Satrap") Rajuvula , c.  10 –25 CE. The Mora Well inscription of Mahakshatrapa Rajuvula , of the early decades of the first century CE, found in a village seven miles from Mathura, stated that images pratima(h) of the blessed ( bhagavatam ) five Vrishni heroes , were installed in a stone shrine of a person called Tosa. The heroes were identified from

7008-493: The result of the fight, and was ordered to leave the prisoners and the cattle in charge of Sayyid Zain ul-'Abidin, the jágirdár of the place. Çaf Shikan Khán also (who after ’Abdunnabí's death had been appointed Faujdár of Mathura) waited on the emperor, and was ordered to tell off two hundred troopers to guard the fields attached to the villages, and prevent soldiers from plundering and kidnapping children. Námdár Khán, Faujdár of Murádábád, also came to pay his respects. Çafshikan Khán

7104-475: The routes to Malwa (central India) and the west coast . Archaeologists have discovered a fragment of Mathura red sandstone from Rakhigarhi - a site of Indus Valley civilisation dated to third millennium BCE - which was used as a grindstone; red sandstone was also a popular material for historic period sculptures . By the sixth century BCE Mathura became the capital of the Surasena Kingdom . The city

7200-412: The sacred forests of Braj , and, on his return to Mathura, founded religious establishments and celebrated Holi . During the period of the expansion of Maratha Empire , pilgrimage to the holy places in the north became quite frequent. Pilgrims required protection on the way and took advantage of the constant movement of troops that journeyed to and back from their homeland for military purposes. That

7296-571: The same ages, in East India , the Jagannathism ( a.k.a. Odia Vaishnavism) was origined as the cult of the god Jagannath ( lit.   ' 'Lord of the Universe' ' )—an abstract form of Krishna. Jagannathism is a regional, previously state, temple-centered version of Krishnaism, where Lord Jagannath is understood as a principal god, Purushottama and Para Brahman , but can also be regarded as

7392-669: The same era. Archaeological excavations at Mathura show the gradual growth of a village into an important city during the Vedic age . The earliest period belonged to the Painted Grey Ware culture (1100–500 BCE), followed by the Northern Black Polished Ware culture (700–200 BCE). Mathura derived its importance as a center of trade due to its location where the northern trade route of the Indo-Gangetic Plain met with

7488-546: The same time frame (150 BCE—50 BCE), possibly pointing to a vassalage relationship with the Indo-Greeks. After a period of local rule, Mathura was conquered by the Indo-Scythians during the first century BCE. The Indo-Scythian satraps of Mathura are sometimes called the " Northern Satraps ", as opposed to the " Western Satraps " ruling in Gujarat and Malwa . However, Indo-Scythian control proved to be short lived, following

7584-592: The sculptures are provided with inscriptions that report on the contemporary society and organisation of the Jain community. Most sculptures could be dated from the second century BC to the 12th century CE, thus representing a continuous period of about 14 centuries during which Jainism flourished at Mathura. These sculptures are now housed in the Lucknow State Museum and in the Mathura Museum. The Mathura Museum

7680-692: The short-lived "Krishna Samaj" society in New York City and built a temple in Los Angeles . He was an author of the first full-length treatment of Gaudiya Vaishnavism in English Sree Krishna—the Lord of Love (New York, 1904); the author sent the book to Russian writer Leo Tolstoy , who was intrigued and used text for composition his notable A Letter to a Hindu . Baba Bharati's followers later formed several organisations in US, including now defunct

7776-473: The supreme being, manifested himself as Krishna, thence Krishnaites assert Krishna to be Svayam Bhagavan ( lit.   ' Sanskrit : 'The Fortunate and Blessed One Himself ' ), Ishvara , the Para Brahman in human form, that manifested himself as Vishnu. As such Krishnaism is believed to be one of the early attempts to make philosophical Hinduism appealing to the masses. In common language

7872-549: The term Krishnaism is not often used, as many prefer a wider term "Vaishnavism", which appeared to relate to Vishnu, more specifically as Vishnu-ism . In outdated literature, there is a broad understanding of Krishnaism as any cult of Krishna, including as a subordinate avatar. Thus, Krishnaism was subdivided into three categories: (1) exclusive worship of Krishna as supreme god or as incarnation of Vishnu; (2) exclusive worship of Radha as original shakti of Krishna or Vishnu; and (3) worship of Radha Krishna conjointly. Krishnaism

7968-577: The third year of the reign of the Kushan emperor Kanishka the Great c.  130 CE. Mathuran art and culture reached its zenith under the Kushan dynasty which had Mathura as one of its capitals. The preceding capitals of the Kushans included Kapisa (modern Bagram, Afghanistan), Purushapura (modern Peshawar, Pakistan) and Takshasila / Sirsukh / (modern Taxila, Pakistan). Mathura ateliers were most active during

8064-570: The time of Mahakshatrapa Rajuvula 's son, Mahakshatrapa Sodasa recorded erection of a torana (gateway), vedika (terrace) and chatuhsala (quadrangle) at the Mahasthana (great place) of Bhagavat Vasudeva. Several male torsos representing the Vrisni heroes were also found in a shrine in Mora dating to the time of Mahakshatrapa Sodasa . During the rule of the great Kushanas , art and culture flourished in

8160-512: The wall. The idols, large and small, set with costly jewels, which had been set up in the temple, were brought to Agra, and buried under the step of the mosque of the Begum Shahib in order to be continuously trodden upon. The name of Mathura was changed to Islamabad. The Muslim conquest resulted in the destruction of all Buddhist , Jain , and Hindu temples and monuments in and around Mathura. Buddhism , already in decline, never revived, and for

8256-474: The word vasudevaka as a bhakta (devotee) of Vasudeva. At that time, Vāsudeva was already considered as a demi-God, as he appears in Pāṇini's writings in conjunction with Arjuna as an object of worship, since Pāṇini explains that a vāsudevaka is a devotee ( bhakta ) of Vāsudeva. A branch which flourished with the decline of Vedism was centred on Krishna, the deified tribal hero and religious leader of

8352-662: The worship of Vithoba , a local form of Krishna, from the late of the 13th   century until the late 18th   century. Before the Warkari sampradaya, Krishna devotion (Pancha-Krishna, i.e. five Krishnas) became well established in Maharashtra due to the rise of Mahanubhava Panth founded by the 13th-century Gujarati acharya Chakradhara . Both schools, Warkari and Mahanubhava, venerated Krishna and his wife Rukmini (Rakhumai). In 16th century in Mathura region , offshoot of Krishnaism

8448-462: The worship of Vasudeva in the final centuries BCE. But, in accordance with Dandekar , the "Vasudevism" marks the beginning of Vaishnavism in whole. In other words, Krishnaism, according to Dandekar, is not an offshoot of Vaishnavism, but, on the contrary, the cult of Vishnu and his avatars is the later transformation of Krishnaism-Bhagavatism. This earliest phase was established in the time of Pāṇini (4th century BCE) who, in his Astadhyayi , explained

8544-578: Was an inspirator with no formal successors), with Krishna and his chief consort and shakti Radha as the supreme god, and Ekasarana Dharma tradition of Sankardev who worship only Krishna, that started under the influence of the Odia cult of Jagannath. In the Western Indian state of Maharashtra , saint poets of the Warkari tradition such as Dnyaneshwar , Namdev , Janabai , Eknath , and Tukaram promoted

8640-466: Was appointed Faujdír of Mathurá.", Asiatic Society of Bengal , Proceedings According the biographer of Raja Jai Singh , Atmaram, when Jai Singh was campaigning against the Jat Raja Churaman Singh , he bathed at Radha kund on the full moon of Kartik, went to Mathura in the month of Shravan in 1724, and performed the marriage of his daughter on Janmashtami . He then undertook a tour of

8736-647: Was at last caught by Hasan ’Alí Khán and his zealous peshkár, Shaikh Razíuddin, and he was now sent with the Shaikh to Agrah, where by order of his Majesty he was executed. Kokila's son and daughter were given to Jawahir Khán Nazir [a eunuch]. The girl was later married to Shah Quli, the well-known Chelah; and his son, who was called Fázil, became in time so excellent a Hafiz [one who knows the Qorán by heart], that his Majesty preferred him to all others and even chaunted passages to him. Shaikh Razíuddin, who had captured Kokila, belonged to

8832-566: Was built to replace it in 1150 CE. The Mathura prasasti (Eulogistic Inscription) dated Samvat (V.S.) 1207 (1150 CE), said to have been found in 1889 CE at the Keshava mound by Anton Fuhrer , German Indologist who worked with the Archaeological Survey of India, recorded the foundations of a temple dedicated to Vishnu at the Katra site: Jajja, who carried the burden of the varga, together with

8928-592: Was later ruled by the Maurya empire (fourth to second centuries BCE). Megasthenes , writing in the early third century BCE, mentions Mathura as a great city under the name Μέθορα ( Méthora ). It seems it never was under the direct control of the following Shunga dynasty (2nd century BCE) as not a single archaeological remain of a Shunga presence were ever found in Mathura. The Indo-Greeks may have taken control, direct or indirect, of Mathura some time between 180 BCE and 100 BCE, and remained so as late as 70 BCE according to

9024-430: Was removed from his office, and Hasan 'Ali Khán was appointed Faujdár of Mathura, with a command of Three Thousand and Five Hundred, 2000 troopers, and received a dress of honour, a sword, and a horse. * * * On the 18th Sha'bán [1st January, 1670), his Majesty entered Agrah. Kokilá Ját, the wicked ringleader of the rebels of District*......, who had been the cause of ’Abdunnabí's death and who had plundered Parganah Sa'dábád,

9120-569: Was repaired and survived till the reign of Sikandar Lodi (r. 1489–1517 CE). In the twelfth century, Bhatta Lakshmidhara, chief minister of the Gahadavala king Govindachandra (r. 1114–1155 CE), wrote the earliest surviving collection of verses in praise of the sacred sites of Mathura in his work Krtyakalpataru, which has been described as "the first re-statement of the theory of Tirtha-yatra (pilgrimage)". In his Krtyakalpataru, Bhatta Lakshmidhara devoted an entire section (9) to Mathura. Later on

9216-475: Was thickly wooded, then Madhupura and later Mathura. The most important pilgrimage site in Mathura was Katra ('market place'), now referred to as Krishna Janmasthan ('the birthplace of Krishna'). Excavations at the site revealed pottery and terracotta dating to the sixth century BCE, the remains of a large Buddhist complex, including a monastery called Yasha Vihara of the Gupta period, as well as Jain sculptures of

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