Devotees faced considerable difficulties at the Banke Bihari temple on Sunday due to heavy crowds. The excessive congestion caused all arrangements to falter, leading to cries of distress among women, children, and elderly devotees.
Vrindavan: Situations spiraled out of control on Sunday at the famous Banke Bihari temple, located in the religious town of Vrindavan in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, due to excessive crowds. Intense jostling inside the temple premises and in the narrow lanes surrounding it not only disrupted administrative arrangements but also forced many devotees to return without having darshan (sacred viewing).
Popular among pilgrims from around the world, this temple is often a hub of congestion, but on Sunday, the situation was observed to be more severe than usual.
Crowds Swarm as Temple Gates Open, Entry Restrictions Worsen Situation
Thousands of devotees had already queued up before the temple gates opened on Sunday morning. As soon as the temple doors opened, there was a rapid rush of people for darshan. Within minutes, congestion began to form inside the temple premises, and the increasing pressure from the crowd worsened the situation. For security reasons, entry to the Jagmohan (main viewing area) was temporarily closed, leading to a massive accumulation of people in the courtyard, and the jostling intensified.
Security personnel faced significant difficulties in controlling the crowd. Devotees were continuously urged to enter, have a quick darshan, and return, but the sheer number of people who had arrived in the temple area was so immense that the arrangements faltered.
Pressure in Lanes, Devotees Trapped for Hours
Crowds had to be repeatedly stopped at barricades in the main lanes leading to the temple, which further exacerbated the situation. As soon as the barricades were removed, people would rush towards the temple, and jostling would resume. Such conditions persisted throughout the day, causing considerable difficulty for women, children, and elderly devotees.
Many people became distressed due to fatigue, heat, and the pressure of the crowd even before reaching the temple and were forced to return without having darshan. Local shopkeepers reported that similar crowds have been observed every Sunday for the past few weeks, but this time, the situation was the most severe.
Three Women Faint, Several Devotees Injured
Due to the unusual pressure from the crowd, three women fainted.
- Poonam Devi, a 56-year-old woman from Haryana, was in the queue where she fainted and fell due to the jostling.
- Poonam Shetty, a 75-year-old from Delhi, suddenly felt dizzy due to low blood pressure and had to be taken to the hospital.
- Ritu, a 62-year-old from Noida, also began to lose consciousness due to the stress of the crowd and her frail health.
Medical Superintendent Dr. Vandana Agarwal stated that all three women received timely medical attention and their condition is stable. She explained that the situation arose due to hypertension, weakness, and stress caused by the excessive crowd.
