Archaeological Museum

Top choice


This museum, renovated in 2016, houses a superb collection of religious sculptures by the Mathura school, which flourished from the 3rd century BC to the 6th century AD. Good lighting and English text spotlight some 2300-year-old Buddhas, as well as towering Kushan-era royal statues and later Sunga- and Gupta-era Hindu icons. It was Mathuran artists who created some of the earliest images of Buddha.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby attractions

1. Sati Burj

0.76 MILES

This four-storey (17m) tower was built by the son of Behari Mal of Jaipur in 1570 to commemorate his mother’s sati (self-immolation on her husband’s…

2. Vishram Ghat

0.81 MILES

A string of ghats and temples lines the Yamuna River north of the main road bridge. The most central and most popular is Vishram Ghat, where Krishna is…

3. Katra Masjid

0.87 MILES

This fine sandstone mosque was built by the Mughal ruler Aurangzeb in 1661. To clear the site, he ordered the destruction of the then-standing incarnation…

4. Kesava Deo Temple

0.88 MILES

In the most important temple complex in Mathura, the small, fortresslike room known as Shri Krishna Janambhoomi marks the spot where Krishna is said to…

5. Pagal Baba Temple

4.39 MILES

This 10-storey white marble temple, a fairy-tale-castle lookalike, has an endearingly amateurish collection of animated puppets and dioramas on the ground…

6. Krishna Balaram Temple Complex

5.29 MILES

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (www.iskcon.org), also known as the Hare Krishnas, is based at the Krishna Balaram temple complex…

7. Vrindavan Chandrodaya Mandir

5.48 MILES

When complete, this Hindu temple should be the tallest religious monument in the world, at around 700ft tall. Construction is underway but will take years.

8. Madan Mohan Temple

5.86 MILES

Set atop a hill and marked by three sandstone towers of varying size and shape, this is the oldest temple in Vrindavan, built in 1580. The main entrance…