These two cities are halfway between Delhi and Agra.
Mathura, where Krishna was born and prisoned, and Brindavan is where he danced with Gopikas, 1008 of them.
There is a shrine in Mathura - a flat rock - which was supposedly Krishna's bed in prison. It is incredibly flat and smooth for a rock, as if someone consciously smoothened it. This bed is inside a cave, so, it could have been easily be a room or a prison cell. Worshipers go through one 'large opening' and come out through the 'other'. Next to this shrine are two places for worship, one a mosque, built by the Mughals. Not sure who it was, so you see a lot of Muslims. The second is a very modern Krishna temple, built recently by Birlas. Well maintained, noone asks you for money or anything, there is a lot of Prashad, very spacious bright and roomy. Because these two shrines are next to each other, the whole street leading to the temples are under high security. Almost nothing other than the person is allowed. Police will take responsibility for your belongings, and return when you return.
Brindavan is an area of about 2 ha, 1008 trees of same kind are found. Very interesting type of trees, more like wines, no clear trunk, and these 'trunks' go around each other, like a man and a woman embracing, strong enough to support the canopy. These trees are said to be the Gopikas - embracing Krishna and dancing. The belief is that the trees become Gopikas at nights, and dance with Krishna. No one goes there after 8 pm. Those who attempted were blinded by the lights from the garden, so we were told. Well that's the belief, but next to the garden are flats, so not sure what the residents of the flat would tell. All trees are drip irrigated now, but wonder who were irrigating them before and how. In addition to the trees, there are two shrines, one is (was) the bedroom. Now they are cemented buildings, not big, just enough to keep idols and photos of Krishna and Radha.
Outside the garden, there are all sorts of small temples and hundreds of 'priests' who swindle money from you in the name of God, Annathanam and so on, and we too got sucked in.
Brindavan is not in a clean surroundings. Real shame for garden of worship. The garden itself is kept clean, the roads leading to them are not. I even saw a pig, pissing in the drain - good pig! A lot of Indians piss on the streets.
I took my daughter there, 10 at that time. She is almost twelve now. I asked her this morning what she remembers about these two places. She said 'lot's of Cow pooh', and 'smelly'. This is what my daughter remembers first. Then she went on why these places are significant to Hindus.
Not sure why Indians do not pay attention to cleanliness. As a kid I was taught cleanliness is godliness. Not around Brindavan though.
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