For the Hindus, to visit the holy places is an act of great religious merit. Throughout India there are centres of pilgrimage, some of them very holy, others less so. Great emphasis is laid on visiting the holy places (yatra) once in a life-time for the attainment of salvation. Four of the holy places have been established by Adi Shankaracharya (a saint) and it signifies a farsightedness of vision towards national integration as they are situated at the four corners of India, making the devotees criss-cross the country.
Benares:- is the most sacred among the holy places. Also known as Varanasi and Kashi, it is the city of Shiva, having over two thousand temples and over half a million idols, most of them dedicated to Shiva and his family. It is situated on the banks of the holy river Ganga.
Mathura:- on the banks of Jamuna, near Agra, is the birth place of Krishna. The atmosphere of Mathura is in direct contrast to that of Benares. Mathura represents the religion of the living, while Benaras emphasizes the permanence of death.
India’s one of the oldest cities Mathura is renowned for many old history and religious views. This sacred city is the birth place of lord Krishna and located in the state of Uttar Pradesh. It is also known as the city of temple for having a large collection of Hindu temples such as Govinda Dev Temple, Shahji Temple, Rang Ji Temple, Madan Mohan Temple, Iskcon Vrindavan and many more. Tourists from different places love to travel this historical city to visit many places like Krishna Janma Bhoomi, Akhand Jyoti Sansthan, Basantar Park, Birla Temple, Gayatri TapoBhumi, Jama Masjid, Government Museum, Gita Mandir, Govardhan Giriraj Hill and so on. Different types of transport facilities made tourists more comfortable to travel Mathura. There are many restaurants and hotels in Mathura to eat and stay. They are named as Agrawal Dhaba, Bhagvan Das ka Bhalla, Café Coffee Day, Hotel Brijwasi Royal, Hotel Goverdhan Palace and Hotel Goverdhan Palace.
