Over 5 mn devotees expected in Mathura for Janmashtami, security stepped up

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The 5,252nd birth anniversary of Lord Krishna will be celebrated at midnight on August 16 in all major temples of Mathura, including the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi temple, and at the Thakur Bankey Bihari temple in Vrindavan.

Nandgaon will mark the festivities on the night of August 17, officials said here on Sunday.

District Magistrate Chandraprakash Singh and Senior Superintendent of Police Shlok Kumar said that while around 4.2 million devotees visited Mathura during Janmashtami last year, the number is expected to cross five million this time.

Preparations and security arrangements are being made accordingly at all pilgrimage centres, including Mathura, Vrindavan, Barsana, Gokul, Nandgaon, Govardhan, and Mahavan.

At the Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi temple complex alone, 150 CCTV cameras have been installed, with over 100 more positioned in the surrounding areas. For the first time, AI-enabled drone cameras will also be deployed for surveillance, the officials said. Police personnel will be stationed across the city, especially at major temples and sensitive locations.

Civic works such as cleaning, road repairs, beautification of routes, and decoration of intersections are being carried out on a war footing, the officers added.

The Uttar Pradesh Braj Teerth Vikas Parishad, which is organising the celebrations under the banner of Shri Krishnotsav', has planned a three-day festival from August 15 to 17.

Vice-Chairman of the Mathura-Vrindavan Development Authority and ex-officio CEO of the Parishad, Shyam Bahadur Singh, said the festivities will begin on the morning of August 15 with a grand procession from the main gate of Shri Krishna Janmasthan to Potra Kund, Govind Nagar, and Deeg Gate, before returning to the starting point.

The procession will combine devotional and patriotic themes, featuring about 250 folk artists from Braj, Bundelkhand, Rajasthan, and Haryana, performing traditional dances such as Bundelkhand's Rai, Rajasthan's Kachhi Ghodi, and Haryana's Gujri.

Musicians will play nagaras, dhols, shehnais, damrus, and manjiras, while bhajan groups from various temples, including ISKCON Vrindavan and Man Mandir Barsana, will spread devotional fervour, he said.

The management of the Bankey Bihari temple has urged devotees to avoid bringing the elderly, children, pregnant women, persons with disabilities, and patients suffering from blood pressure or diabetes to Vrindavan during Janmashtami, in view of the expected massive crowds and to prevent any untoward incidents.