Uttar Pradesh: Banke Bihari Corridor Survey Work Takes Off In Vrindavan

A corridor has been proposed around the Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan, and the survey for the same began on Tuesday (3 January).

As reported by the PTI, the head of the committee formed to survey the area for the development of the corridor, Anunaya Jha, said it would be completed by the weekend.

He said project details including the cost of development, land cost etc would be submitted to the district magistrate once the estimates are prepared.

In a writ petition related to the Banke Bihari Temple, the High Court had on 20 December 2022 ordered the district administration to submit a development plan with estimated costs on 17 January 2023.

An eight-member committee headed by Anunaya Jha, also the Municipal commissioner Nagar Nigam Mathura, was formed on 25 December to implement the orders of the High Court, officials said, as reported.

The committee includes officials from the Mathura Vrindavan Development Authority, Nagar Nigam and Revenue Department. Four teams consisting of engineers, lekhpals (revenue officials), sub-registrar and police officials have been formed for a speedy implementation of work.

The corridor was first announced a week after the stampede in August 2022 when two pilgrims were killed and seven others injured on the night of Srikrishna Janmashtami.

The Uttar Pradesh government had announced that a dedicated corridor would be soon built to ensure the smooth movement of devotees from the Yamuna riverbank to the famed Bankey Bihari Temple in Mathura.

State Minister Laxmi Narayan Chaudhary had then said, that the corridor will be able to accommodate more than 50,000 devotees at a time.

"Devotees, after taking a dip in the holy Yamuna, can directly reach the temple via the corridor, the minister for sugarcane development and sugar industry told reporters here," he had said, as reported by PTI.

Keeping the existing ancient structure of the temple intact, the open space from where devotees pay their obeisance will also be extended, as per plans.

The project will be a gift to Brijbhumi from Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, who was distressed by the death of two pilgrims at the temple on the day of Sri Krishna Janmashtami, said the Minister then, adding that the temple can now accommodate around 800 people at a time and after the development, the number will go up to 5,000.