After freshening up at our hotel room, we head towards the first place in our Mathura itinerary - Vishram Ghat - the chief ghat of Mathura on the banks of the river Yamuna.

The way to the river front is through narrow lanes and a fleet of stairs, lined by shops selling all kinds of religious paraphernalia on both sides of the pathway.

Entrance to the Yamuna River Ghat, Mathura
Vitthal Dwar - Entrance gate to the Vishram Ghat

After ignoring a dozen calls of the shopkeepers to the tune of – ‘Yamuna maiya ko Prasad chadane kuch le jaiye (Take something as offering for Mother Yamuna)’, we finally buy a flower diya (lamp) to float on Her waters as an offering. As we make our way forward towards the ghats (ceremonial steps on the river bank), the first thing that strikes me, thankfully not literally, are monkeys - loads and loads of them! True to their mischief monger image, they can be seen jumping from one terraced-top to another landing with huge thuds on the other one, screeching and squealing while staring at you and your belongings waiting for an opportune moment when they can snatch some worthwhile stuff from you! They all look hungry and they love your gadgets, so it’s better to stick to the old adage that says, prevention is better than cure and avoid carrying unnecessary valuables and gadgets while in the vicinity. Evading the monkeys carefully, we step into the main ghat area.

Monkeys at the Devotees taking a dip at the Yamuna River Ghat, Mathura
Monkeys at the Yamuna River Ghat, Mathura
Monkeys on the ghats of Mathura

A microcosm of colors and symbols, the ghats open your view to a different picture than the town. Strewn around the area are small-big shrines, touching the sacred river banks; blankets of colorful antic haveli-type structures sweeping over the entire area, and there is a sea of humanity and a swell of spirituality; everything blending together contributing to the reflective beauty of Mathura.

Pilgrims at the Yamuna River Ghat, Mathura
Ghats of Mathura

The main ghat, the Vishram Ghat is positioned centrally at the 13th point out of the total 25 ghats of Mathura with 12 of them lying on one side of it while the remaining 12 on the other side. This fact is very well reflected in the flurry of goings-on that one can observe on this ghat, the moment one is here.

Boats stacked up at the Yamuna River Ghat, Mathura
View from the ghats of Mathura

The sun has turned into a burning blob of yellow, the early morning ritualistic hustle-bustle has long subsided, but this has not deterred the enthusiasm of the pilgrims. The river front is dynamic and vibrant with ritualistic colors and effervescent activities of pilgrims coming from different cultures and traditions.

Pilgrims flocking the Yamuna River Ghat, Mathura
Pilgrims on the ghats

Men in saffron robes and dhotis aid the devotees in the performance of traditional ritual prayers,

Pilgrims praying at the Yamuna River Ghat, Mathura
A Priest aids pilgrims in performance of rituals

... some sit deep in meditation eyes closed with prayer beads in their hands chanting mantras of the divine while some others solicit travelers like us to take them in order to please the river.

A priest praying at the Yamuna River Ghat, Mathura
A priest reading a holy text at the Yamuna River Ghat, Mathura
A priest with a tilak on forehead at the Yamuna River Ghat, Mathura
Priests, Ascetics and sadhus at the Yamuna River Ghats

Devotees are everywhere your eyes can see, performing various rites and rituals. They laugh and giggle while taking a customary dip in the Yamuna, they offer water to the Sun God through cupped hands,

Devotees taking a dip at the Yamuna River Ghat, Mathura
Devotees taking a customary dip in the River Yamuna

... and they pay homage to their ancestors by performing profound and deep rites of passage like the tarpan, shraddha, etc.

Devotees performing rituals for ancestors at the Yamuna River Ghat, Mathura
Believers doing shraddha at the Yamuna River Ghat, Mathura
A prayer ceremony being conducted at the Yamuna River Ghat, Mathura
Devotees engaged in performance of various rituals

Several wooden boats are neatly harnessed in a pattern waiting for its customers;

Yamuna River Ghat, Mathura
Wooden boats lined up at the Vishram Ghat

... the boatmen look out with eager eyes occasionally asking if you wish to be taken for a ride.

A Boatman waits for customers at the Yamuna River Ghat, Mathura
A boatman waits...

In the pillared porches, with cymbals in hands and devotional hymns on lips, sit devotees singing glories to Lord Krishna and the Goddess River Yamuna where He’d rested after killing the demon king Kansa.

All in all, the entire place is alive with colors of humanity in its various avatars – moments of laughter, reflection and contemplation, prayers and petition and all the intercultural bindings taking place. I savor the feel of all the sights and sounds bopping around me, and finally descend the final few steps to make it near the Goddess river. Our priest cautions us to first sprinkle some drops onto ourselves, ask for Her permission and only then put our feet in. We do likewise. I set afloat my flower diya in Her gentle waters and say a silent prayer...

Elements of faith at the Yamuna River Ghat, Mathura
Sit down, blank out and listen...

Though the image of the town is very much tarnished for scams and cheating but a few moments here and I realize, its holy currents are way stronger... It is a place of different vibrational frequencies where some hundreds of believers, assembled at the same place, coming from different walks of life, belonging to different economic stratus of society, rooting in different cultures and traditions; speak the very same language – the language of love for the divine – the very language that dissolves all physical boundaries and sends out the universal message of inner peace. There is a different dimension to it all, a facet that is better experienced than understood. All one needs to do, perhaps... is sit down, blank the mind out and listen......

Tips, Points to be kept in Mind:

1. On the auspicious occasion of Bhaiduj or Yama Dwitiya (the fifth day of the festival of Diwali), keeping in accordance to a popular legendary tale, brother-sister duo descend on the ghats by hordes to bathe in the River Yamuna. On account of this, the ghats witness a huge crowd on the day. If you plan to be here on this day, then make sure to reach the ghat and perform the prayers early in the day.

2. Be careful of Monkeys near the ghat area. Try not to carry valuables and if you do, hide or cover them under some cloth or wraps for safety.

3. Remove your footwear before venturing near the water area.

4. Be careful of priests as it is a city known for cons and cheats. Best advice would be to trust your instincts; I don’t think there is any other way to check on this.

5. Be wary of shopkeepers as they might quote higher prices for things than reasonable. Check out the prices in a few shops before buying!

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