Vrajmandal Parikrama: The Sacred Ghatas on the River Yamuna

Mathura is especially famous for its twenty-five sacred bathing ghatas along the
banks of the Yamuna River. These ghatas which are also called tirthas are considered to be
the best of all bathing ghatas in the entire universe, far superior to Prayag’s triveni-sangam,
or even such places as Kasi, Gaya, Ujjain, Rishikesh, or Haridwara. In the Skanda Purana it
says. “Just as a piece of iron is transformed into gold by being touched by a touchstone,
similarly by the touch of the Yamuna’s water, a sinful person becomes pious.” The
Padma Purana says, “Whoever dies on the bank of Yamuna within the Mathura
Mandala, he achieves the same features as Lord Vishnu.” In the Matsya Purana it says, “If
one takes bath in the Yamuna seven generations of his family become purified.”
The ghatas at Mathura have been worshiped since the beginning of time and in the
Satya-yuga many great personalities took bath at these ghatas including all the important
demigods headed by Lord Brahma and Lord Shiva, as well as the seven great sages (saptarishis),
Dhruva Maharaja, Ambarisha Maharaja, Bali Maharaja, Durvasa Muni, Dattatreya,
Angira, Parashara, and others. Even asuras like Ravana performed tapasya here. During the
four months of chaturmasya, the Puranas say that all the holy tirthas of the universe come to
Mathura Dhama to bathe and perform seva-puja on the banks of the Yamuna, to purify
themselves of the accumulated sins left behind at their tirthas by visiting pilgrims.
When Lord Chaitanya Mahaprabhu arrived at Mathura, He first bathed at Vishrama
Ghata and took darshana of Krishna’s birthplace and the Keshavadeva Mandira. The next day
Lord Chaitanya bathed in all the twenty-four other ghatas along the Yamuna. According to
the Bhakti-ratnakara, there are twelve ghatas to the north of Vishrama Ghata and twelve
ghatas to the south. The names of these ghatas which are also called tirthas, are from north
to south; Uttara Koti-tirtha, Vighnaraja-tirtha, Dashashmavamedha-tirtha, Chakra-tirtha,
Saraswati Patana-tirtha, Soma-tirtha, Brahma-tirtha, Ghanta Bharanaka-tirtha, Naga-tirtha