Mathura celebrates Govardhan Puja amid tight security

 

 

A LARGE number of devotees set out to perform the 7-km circumambulation of the Govardhan Hill near here amid tight security on the occasion of Govardhan Puja on Saturday. Children, the elderly and youths were part of groups of devotees that came from distant places. Some devotees distributed a variety of dishes to other pilgrims. However, in the Thakur Dwarkadhish temple of the Pushtimarg sect, the festival was observed on Friday. According to temple officials, the festival of Yam Dwitiya (Bhai Dooj) will be celebrated across Braj on Sunday. In the Braj region, Diwali festivities were primarily held on the night of October 31. On Saturday, Govardhan Puja and Annakut were celebrated. While Govardhan Puja was observed in the morning, Annakut darshan was held at the temple in the evening.

 

District and municipal officials were busy making arrangements for the special bath ceremony to be held at Vishram Ghat on Yam Dwitiya. District Magistrate Shailendra Kumar Singh, Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Shailesh Kumar Pandey and Municipal Commissioner Shashank Chaudhary were seen overseeing cleanliness and security arrangements along majorroutes, Yamuna ghats and markets. “Barricades have been set up at Vishram Ghat and otherkey ghats to ensure safebathing. Changing rooms, restrooms, lost-and-found centresand special lighting arrangements have also been made forwomen,” Chaudhary said. SSP Pandey said, “150 policepersonnel were deployed fortraffic management in the city, and an additional 500 officerswill be stationed at the ghats. The PAC Flood Unit will patrol the Yamuna River on motorboats to respond to any emergencies.”