Mathura

Mathura boat capsize: Death toll rises to 15 as two more bodies recovered

The death toll in the boat capsize incident in the Yamuna river here has climbed to 15 after the recovery of two more bodies on Monday, officials said. Superintendent of Police (Rural) Suresh Chandra Rawat said that during a search operation, the body of a woman was found in the Bangali Ghat area of Mathura. She has been identified as Monika. The second body was recovered near the Devaraha Baba Ghat in Vrindavan and the deceased has been identified as Yash alias Yuvraj Bhalla (22). In a video recorded just minutes before the accident on Friday last, Bhalla can be seen playing a 'dhol' (drum) alongside devotees who were singing hymns. His father informed police that Yash was a a student and used to play 'dholak' for the 'bhajan' troupe of the 'Shri Banke Bihari Club' in Jagraon in Ludhiana in his free time. He had joined this pilgrimage with the group for this purpose. Rawat said the body of one individual --- Pankaj Malhotra (40)--- remains to be recovered. "The bodies of all oth

Death toll rises to 13 as search continues in Mathura boat tragedy

The incident occurred on Friday afternoon when a boat carrying over two dozen tourists, primarily from Punjab, hit a floating drum of a pontoon bridge and capsized near Kesi Ghat in Vrindavan

Mathura boat capsize: 10 dead, 22 injured; PM announces ₹2 lakh ex-gratia

A boat carrying tourists, primarily from Punjab, capsized in the Yamuna in Vrindavan on Friday afternoon, leaving at least 10 people dead, 22 injured and five missing, officials said. The accident occurred near Kesi Ghat when the boat carrying over two dozen tourists moved into deeper waters and hit a floating pontoon, they said. Authorities noted that a pontoon bridge had recently been dismantled in the area due to rising water levels, leaving some pontoon drums in the river, one of which the boat is believed to have collided with. District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh reported six fatalities earlier and later rescuers recovered four more bodies, taking the toll to 10, the district administration officials confirmed. The deceased have been identified as Kavita Rani (49), Charanjit (40), Sapna Hans (55), Rikesh Gulati, Madhur Behl, Asha Rani, Pinki Behl, Anju Gulati, Ishan Kataria, Minu Bansal, according to an official statement. Those missing have been identified as Manik Tan

Land acquisition for townships near UP's religious cities in last stages

Ayodhya, Varanasi & Mathura in top bracket, says Housing Commissioner Balkar Singh

Bomb scare on Delhi-bound train a hoax after inspection at Mathura

The Jabalpur-Hazrat Nizamuddin 12192 Shridham Express departed from the Mathura Junction on Sunday after fears of a possible bomb on board was proved hoax following a thorough inspection at the station, officials said. Panic spread among passengers after information was received about a bomb allegedly planted in the train's general coach. However, the train was allowed to continue its journey after a thorough inspection at the Mathura Junction found nothing suspicious on board, officials said. Station Director N P Singh said information about a possible bomb threat was first received in Bhopal. Following the alert, checks were conducted at every station on the route. The train arrived at platform number two of Mathura Junction at 10.02 am, where teams of the Railway Protection Force (RPF), Government Railway Police (GRP), and a dog squad conducted a thorough search of the general coach, including seats and luggage, the officer said. No suspicious object was found during the ...

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

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 wi

UP says Banke Bihari Temple ordinance for better administration

The Uttar Pradesh government informed the Supreme Court on Tuesday that its objective for enacting an ordinance for Banke Bihari Temple trust was aimed at better administration of the religious place at Vrindavan in Mathura. On August 4, the top court said it would keep in abeyance its May 15 nod to the ambitious scheme to develop the Shri Banke Bihari Temple Corridor at Vrindavan in Mathura for the benefit of devotees as key stakeholders were not heard. Appearing before a bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi, Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj said the 2025 ordinance had nothing to do with the pending litigation of ownership of the temple administration. "Let me clarify at the outset that the ordinance has nothing to do with the pending writ petition. There was a PIL filed for better administration of the temple before the high court and directions were passed," Nataraj said. He said the ordinance was issued for better administration of the temple which witnesses

Krishna Janmabhoomi: HC junks plea to rename mosque as 'disputed structure'

The Allahabad High Court dismissed a plea to replace 'Shahi Idgah Mosque' with 'disputed structure' in the ongoing Krishna Janmabhoomi cases

UP govt to relocate families affected by Banke Bihari corridor project

The Uttar Pradesh government has decided to rehabilitate families affected by the upcoming Banke Bihari Corridor project in Vrindavan to the Rukmini Vihar and Sunrakh Bangar areas of the Mathura-Vrindavan region, the district administration here said. The corridor, which is planned to be constructed on 5.5 acres of land surrounding the iconic Thakur Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan, will impact several families, including sevayats (temple caretakers), shopkeepers, and local residents, it said in a statement on Wednesday evening. District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh said the Mathura-Vrindavan Development Authority (MVDA) has selected land in Rukmini Vihar and Sunrakh Bangar to rehabilitate 275 affected families. Flats will be provided to them as per their needs. The list includes around 200 shopkeepers whose establishments fall within the project area. "All affected shopkeepers will be allotted new commercial spaces within the corridor complex," the DM stated. Home owners will

Railway Ministry permanently cancels ₹402 cr Mathura-Vrindavan project

The Railway Ministry has permanently closed its ambitious project for the conversion of the Mathura-Vrindavan railway line from metre gauge to broad gauge at an estimated cost of Rs 402 crore, terming it "uneconomical". The North Central Railway (NCR) zone, which has jurisdiction over the Mathura-Virndavan section, had mooted a proposal a few months ago to terminate it permanently due to opposition from locals. "The Proposal of North Central Railway regarding closure of the aforementioned uneconomical branch line of North Central Railway has been examined by the (Railway) Board. Accordingly, Competent Authority has approved permanent closure of Mathura Vrindavan section of Agra Division of North Central Railway," the Railway Ministry said in a letter dated June 6, addressed to the General Manager of the NCR zone. It further said the decision has been taken with the concurrence of the Finance Directorate of the Ministry of Railways and asked the zone to initiate necessary ...

Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma visit Premanand Maharaj in Vrindavan

A day after his retirement announcement from Test cricket, Indian batsman Virat Kohli alongside his actor wife Anushka Sharma today met Premanand Ji Maharaj at his ashram in the Vrindavan temple, UP

Won't stop volunteers from aiding revival of temples in Mathura, Kashi: RSS

The Hindu groups claim that the Muslim invaders destroyed the Srikrishna Temple in Mathura and the Kashi Vishwanath Temple in Varanasi and built mosques over them

Yogi Adityanath defends bulldozer action, says 'law speaks their language'

Yogi Adityanath defends bulldozer action, says law must be enforced firmly, questions religious site disputes, and asserts that Muslims are safest in Uttar Pradesh

Braj Holi 2025: Check complete 40-day 'Rangotsav' festival schedule

During the 40-day Rangotsav, Holi of the Braj includes Mathura, Vrindavan, Barsana, and Nandgaon, and is one of the most well-known festivals. The celebrations begin on Feb 3, and conclude on March 22

Plea on combining lawsuits in Mathura temple-mosque row can wait: SC

The Supreme Court on Friday said a plea challenging the Allahabad High Court order to combine 15 lawsuits by Hindu petitioners on the Mathura Sri Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah Masjid dispute may be raised later. A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar took a prima facie view in favour of the high court decision to consolidate all the lawsuits, saying it favours both sides of the litigation. On January 11 last year, the Allahabad High Court directed that the 15 suits on an application filed by the Hindu plaintiff be consolidated "in interest of justice". At the beginning of hearing on Friday, the SC bench said it is seized of an issue related to a 1991 law on places of worship and asked as to why it should intervene on the matter of the consolidation of the lawsuits at the moment. "If required, you can raise the plea later," the CJI told the lawyer representing the mosque committee. In a related important development, the top court, on December 12,

Security beefed up outside Shahi Eidgah in Mathura on Babri demolition day

To heighten the security, the traffic has also been diverted, the police official added

Protests erupt over claims on Lord Krishna's caste in Mathura, FIR filed

Wall inscriptions claiming that Lord Krishna was a Jat triggered protests in Mathura, prompting police to register an FIR and start a probe, officials said on Tuesday. According to mythology, Nandgaon in Mathura is believed to be the village Lord Krishna was brought to by his foster parents, Yashoda and Nand Baba, to protect him from King Kansa. Lord Krishna is traditionally regarded as a member of the Yaduvanshi lineage. Recently, writings under the title "The History of Nandgaon" cropped up on the walls of some shops and homes in Nandgaon that asserted that Lord Krishna was a Jat. The inscriptions included the name of one Kunwar Singh and a phone number. Attempts by locals to contact the number, however, were unsuccessful. As tension grew, subdivisional magistrate Sweta Singh directed the nagar panchayat to register a case. Clerk Ramjeet filed an FIR on Tuesday against Kunwar Singh for spreading misinformation about Lord Krishna and hurting public sentiment. The police said a

Mathura Shahi Idgah dispute: SC to hear plea of mosque committee on Dec 9

The Supreme Court on Friday said it will hear on December 9 a plea of the mosque committee against the Allahabad High Court rejecting its petition challenging the maintainability of 18 cases of the Hindu side related to the Krishna Janmabhoomi-Shahi Idgah dispute in Mathura. A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar said it will accord a detailed hearing on the plea at 2 pm on December 9. "This we will hear at length. We will take it up on December 9, at 2 pm... We have to decide what is the legal position," the CJI said. Speaking for the bench, the CJI said he prima facie felt that an intra-court appeal would lie against the single judge bench order of August 1 of the high court. "We will certainly give you an opportunity to argue," the bench said. On August 1, the high court rejected the plea of the Committee of Management, Trust Shahi Masjid Idgah challenging the maintainability of 18 cases related to the temple-mosque dispute in Mathura, and ruled

Blast at Indian Oil's Mathura refinery injures 8; fire now under control

Eyewitnesses reported hearing a loud blast as huge flames rose from the refinery's Mathura plant, with the fire visible from several kilometres away

3 cops suspended after Bishnoi's shooter speaks to media while in custody

Three policemen have been suspended for alleged negligence in duty, taking cognisance of videos in which a sharpshooter of Lawrence Bishnoi gang interacts with reporters while in police custody and comments on NCP leader Baba Siddique's killing, officials said on Saturday. In the purported videos that went viral on social media, Yogesh (26) alias Raju said Siddique, , who was killed in Mumbai recently, was not a good man and had connections with India's most-wanted criminal Dawood Ibrahim. Taking action in the matter, Mathura Senior Superintendent of Police Shailesh Kumar Pandey on Friday night ordered the suspension of three policemen, including a sub-inspector, the officials said. According to the officials, Yogesh is associated with the Lawrence Bishnoi-Hashim Baba gangs. He has been arrested in connection with last month's killing of gym owner Nadir Shah in Delhi's Greater Kailash area. They, however, said Yogesh is not linked with the killing of Baba Siddique, a former ...