Though Mathura is chiefly the city belonging to Lord Krishna, it is here that Lord Shiva finds a special place. Thus, in Mathura one finds the unique amalgamation of Vaishnavite Temples with Shaivite Temple―an aspect that is particularly eye-catching.

There are 4 highly revered Shaivite temples in the city, believed to be the chief citadels standing in 4 different directions as sentinel guards to this sacred town. These are the Bhuteshwar Mahadev Temple located to the west of the town, the Gokarneshwar Temple in the north, the Rangeshwar Mahadev Temple to the south and the Pipaleshwar Mahadev Temple to the east. It is said that for a fruitful pilgrimage to the ‘Braj Mandal Region’, permission of at least one of these powerful Shiva guards has to be sought.

You can visit the Pipleshwar Temple on your way to the Vishram Ghat which is situated nearby, towards the south. The temple is a small modest yellow coloured building devoid of any ostentatious decoration. Inside the temple’s main room, lies the Shiv Lingam, draped in a silk cloth, openly approachable by the visiting pilgrims. The Shivlingam is flanked by His consort Goddess Parvati and His sons Ganesha and Kartikeya on all sides.