One of the most famous sacred destinations of the Hindus, Mathura is a quaint small town on the western bank of Yamuna River. It is the place where Lord Krishna was born and spent his early days. A famous centre of Buddhism in ancient India, the place was known for great school of sculpture known as Mathura school of Art which flourished under the Kushana dynasty in the 1st century AD.

One of the seven sacred cities (Sapta Mahapuris) and an important place of pilgrimage, Mathura and the surrounding villages of Vrindavan, Goverdhan and Gokul are popularly referred to as "Braj-Bhoomi".