At least two people died of crush and suffocation while several people were taken to hospital at the Bankey Bihari temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Mathura during midnight Janmashtami celebrations. Thousands of devotees thronged the famous Banke Bihari to offer prayers and participate in rituals, leaving very little space for breathing. The incident took place around 2 am during the Mangla Arti at the temple. Police had to restrict people from entering the temple after some started fainting at the site.
“During the Mangla Arti at Bankey Bihari in Mathura, a devotee fainted at the exit of the temple due to which the movement of devotees was restricted. As it was a huge crowd, many people inside the premises suffocated due to the humidity. 2 people lost their lives,” police told . A video shared by a user showed a huge crowd of people gasping for air gathered at the Bankey Bihari temple. Officers were seen carrying a person who was believed to have passed out due to suffocation from overcrowding. The entire city of Mathura was decorated with lights as ‘Krishna Bhoomi’ or the birth place of Lord Krishna is believed to be celebrated on Janmashtami. Devotees were seen dancing during the midnight celebrations.
Earlier in the day, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple in Mathura on the occasion of Janmashtami on Friday. Lord Krishna came to this earth about 5,000 years ago from today and his ‘lilas’ are celebrated in every part of the country and the world even today,” Adityanath said. Janmashtami is a Hindu festival that marks the birth of Krishna. According to the Hindu calendar, Krishna, the eighth avatar Lord Vishnu, was born on the eighth day of the month of Bhadra. The festival was celebrated across the country with great enthusiasm. Temples were seen lit up with colorful lights as chants of “Jai Shree Krishna” rang out across cities and towns.
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