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Elderly, disabled & kids should avoid visiting Bankey Behari temple during New Year rush
In his appeal, Munesh Sharma, the manager (administration) of Thakur Sri Bankey Behari Ji Maharaj Temple, has enlisted about a dozen points to request the vulnerable population to avoid a visit to the temple during the New Year.
AGRA In a precautionary measure, the administration of Sri Bankey Behari Temple in Vrindavan has urged the elderly and disabled pilgrims to avoid a visit during the New Year rush. The temple administration has also appealed to people to not bring young kids between December 25 and January 5, when the devotee footfall rises significantly.
In his appeal, Munesh Sharma, the manager (administration) of Thakur Sri Bankey Behari Ji Maharaj Temple, has enlisted about a dozen points to request the vulnerable population to avoid a visit to the temple during the aforementioned period.
“Winter holidays and New Year breaks bring a huge inflow of devotees here. They wish to seek the blessings of Thakur Ji for an auspicious beginning of the year. However, with limited resources, management of crowd becomes a tough task and poses threat to those aged, physically challenged, and children. Therefore, we have issued an appeal,” said Sharma on Monday.
The appeal, which was circulated to the media on Monday, read, “We appeal the devotees to follow the route chart prepared by district administration and Mathura police and suggest devotees to be attentive to announcements made through public address system. Devotees should avoid bringing valuables and move through assigned gates for entry and exit and follow singly way concept implemented.”
It added, “Avoid wearing footwear and prefer leaving them in their vehicle or at points laid at a distance because entry and exit are through different tracks... Beware of pickpockets and put a slip having 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.
Notably, the Bankey Behari Temple in Vrindavan has become the much sought-after destination for the past few decades in the temple town of Vrindavan. However, narrow approach lanes through the market for the temple and small enclosure for ‘sanctum sanctorum’, even a slight increase in the number of devotees poses safety threats.
In August, two devotees suffocated to death on night of Janmashtami at Sri Bankey Behari Temple. After the tragedy, a probe committee -- headed by retired DGP Sulkhan Singh and having then commissioner Gaurav Dayal as member -- was constituted. It suggested certain measures but not much has changed and the fainting of devotees at the temple because of crowd pressure especially on weekends is common at this revered religious site.
Meanwhile, the state government is mulling a corridor in Vrindavan on the lines of Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi to ease the long pending problem of crowd management, said Laxmi Narain Chaudhary, a cabinet minister and MLA from Chhata (Mathura rural). He had made the remark a few months ago.
