Nightmare before dream encounter in Vrindavan

Spiritual trip of devotees, particularly those coming from faraway, often ends up in trauma, all credit to parking lot owners on prowl

- NAMITA B AJPAI

 

Spiritually electrifying - even this phrase doesn't do justice to the experience one has standing in front of Banke Bihari, the Krishna, and presiding deity of the famous Vrindavan temple. Provided one is allowed that moment of stillness and peace in the 1,200 square feet courtyard packed with thousands any time in front of the idol.

"You are lucky if you have that eye contact," says Rajendra Sharma, selling sweets in the 14-yard lane leading to the temple. But no amount of luck can help you escape the wrath of the notorious traffic and "parking mafia" of this temple town. They have flourished because of the sudden surge in the number of devotees, especially post Covid-19 pandemic. The influx now is almost 10 times more than the hosting capacity of Mathura-Vrindavan twin towns. Often the spiritual trip of devotees coming from far away ends up in trauma, all credit to the parking lot owners on the prowl.

These private parking lots have emerged as the biggest centres of harassment for devotees coming on a spiritual pursuit to the town, says Naveen Kumar, a Mathura resident. While the upper limit of the holding capacity of the two towns is 20,000, it has to host 1 lakh visitors on a normal day and the number jumps to 2-2.5 lakh on weekends and even 5-6 lakh on big days like Krishna Janmashtami.