Mathura’s admin steps up Diwali arrangements for devotees at Bankey Bihari temple

These arrangements were made in view of the Diwali festival. Two devotees died of suffocation and seven were injured in a stampede at the temple due to a rush during Janmashtami celebrations

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Mathura: The Mathura district administration has come up with a plan to facilitate devotees thronging the Bankey Bihari temple here to pay obeisance on Diwali, officials said on Saturday. District Magistrate Pulkit Khare, Senior Superintendent of Police Abhishek Yadav and Municipal Commissioner Anunay Jha surveyed the area around the temple during the day and spoke to local people for suggestions as well, they said. The officials said devotees will now be able to park their cars in an area near the temple and deposit their shoes at footwear collection centres for safekeeping.

"Now pilgrims will neither lose their shoes nor face any problem reaching the centre where they kept their shoes," Khare said, adding that signboards will be put up to help them. According to the officials, fans are being installed in the narrow streets leading to the temple for devotees and arrangements have been made for parking vehicles on every route leading to the temple. In August, two devotees died of suffocation and seven were injured in a stampede at the temple due to a rush during Janmashtami celebrations.