Highlights
- The maximum rush was witnessed at the Bankey Bihari temple of Vrindavan
- Thousands converged to pay their obeisance on Janmashtami
- The temple was overcrowded, leading to suffocation
Krishna Janmashtami in Mathura: Two people died due to suffocation while many others were admitted to nearby hospitals during Janmashtami celebrations at Bankey Bihari temple.
Devotees from all walks of life and those from abroad offered prayers at Krishna temples on Friday as the Janmashtami celebrations gripped Mathura, the place where the deity is believed to have been born. The maximum rush was witnessed at the Bankey Bihari temple of Vrindavan. Thousands converged to pay their obeisance to the almighty.
The temple was overcrowded, leading to suffocation. Two people died on the spot while five to six people were admitted to the hospital after they complained of breathing problems. According to eyewitnesses, there was no place to even set foot at the temple premises due to which people started getting suffocated.
The incident, reportedly, occurred past midnight during Mangala Aarti. Both the deceased have been identified as Nirmala Devi, a resident of Noida and Rajkumar, a resident of Vrindavan, Jabalpur. According to several media reports, the servitors of the temple alleged that the officials showed their status and gave special facilities to their families. It is alleged that the relatives of the officers were having darshan of the Lord during Janmashtami from the balconies and they closed the gates of the upper floor for the safety of their families. However, police have not substantiated the claim.
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Krishna Janmashtami celebrations
The nation celebrated the 5248th birth anniversary of Lord Krishna on Friday and devotees from the country and abroad took part in the rituals to mark the occasion. According to the legend, the sanctum sanctorum of the Sri Krishna Janmasthan temple is the place where Lord Krishna was born thousands of years ago.
A large number of people also paid obeisance at the Dwarkadheesh temple during the "abhishek" ceremony, which lasted for nearly an hour. Devotees danced to the tunes of clarinet and beats of drums at temples from early in the morning. While people in large numbers offered prayers at temples in Mathura, Vrindavan, Gokul and Nandgaon, thousands undertook the circumambulation of hillock Goverdhan. The district administration beefed up the security to prevent any untoward incident.
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