‘Avoid bringing children, elderly to Bankey Behari Temple during Holi rush’

Every year, the twin religious cities of Mathura and Vrindavan get drenched in Holi festivities from Basant Panchami itself.

AGRA The administration of the Sri Bankey Behari Temple in Vrindavan has urged the elderly and disabled pilgrims to avoid visiting the revered shrines during the Holi rush. The temple administration has also appealed to people to not bring young kids on the occasion of Holi when the devotee footfall rises significantly on the temple premises.

Temples witness a rush of devotees playing Holi with ‘gulal’. (Pic by temple committee)

Every year, the twin religious cities of Mathura and Vrindavan get drenched in Holi festivities from Basant Panchami itself. The festival of colours is celebrated for over 40 days in these towns and the temples witness a rush of devotees playing Holi with ‘gulal’.

In this context, Munesh Sharma, the manager (administration) of Thakur Sri Bankey Behari Ji Maharaj Temple, has issued a circular stating, “Avoid bringing along those aged, physically challenged, and children during the Holi rush. The devotees coming to the temple should follow the one-way route chart laid out by the police for reaching the temple. They should also follow the instructions issued through the public address system.”

It added, “Avoid wearing footwear and prefer leaving them in your vehicles or at points at a distance because entry and exit are through different tracks. Beware of pickpockets and put a slip with name and contact number in the pocket of the aged and children so that they can be traced in case of getting lost.”

The manager (administration) has also urged devotees to keep moving and avoid clicking selfies while on way or while leaving the temple to maintain a streamlined flow of devotees coming in and moving out.

In the past few decades, the Bankey Behari Temple in Vrindavan has become the most sought-after religious site but narrow approach lanes through the market for the temple and a small enclosure for ‘sanctum sanctorum’ poses safety threats for pilgrims.

In August 2022, two devotees suffocated to death during Janmashtami celebrations at the Sri Bankey Behari Temple. After the tragedy, a probe committee -- headed by retired DGP Sulkhan Singh with then commissioner Gaurav Dayal as a member -- was constituted.

Meanwhile, the state government is mulling a corridor in Vrindavan on the lines of Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi to ease the long-pending issue of crowd management here