A minimum of two people have died due to overcrowding during Janmashtami celebrations, at a temple in Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, the police said as of 20/08/2022.
The incident took place during midnight celebrations at Banke Bihari temple, reveal police officials.
Abhishek Yadav, a senior cop in Mathura said that on the auspicious occasion of Janmashtami, there was an unexpected spike in the number of devotees. At the time of Aarti, people rushed to the complex which led to overcrowding. It was during this rush, that two devotees, a woman and a man died of suffocation. Six other people also suffered injuries and are being seen at the hospital, he added.
The holy place of Mathura is considered to be the birthplace of Lord Krishna. As per mythology, he was born at midnight. Special prasad is given out after the midnight rituals.
Before, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visited the Krishna Janmabhoomi temple in Mathura and restated his dedication to preserve and promote the spiritual and cultural heritage of the state.
“Paritranaya Sadhunam Vinashaya Cha Dushkritam’, the teachings of Lord Shri Krishna, inspires our thoughts, our actions and our vision,” he said.
“Lord Krishna arrived on this earth about 5,000 years ago from today and his ‘leelas’ are celebrated in every part of the country and the world even today,” Yogi Adityanath said.
Mathura saw devotees dancing to the sounds of “Hare Rama Hare Krishna”. Such enthusiasm is not unique to Mathura, as it is matched by other Krishna temples across the country.
