Yesterday, a crowd gathered at the gates of Mathura’s Janma Bhoomi (birthplace of Lord Krishna) while security personnel checked a bag that had been left unattended. The bag was large and red coloured, which made it even more suspicious looking.
P.C. Amar Ujala
The bomb disposal squad took ¾ hour to arrive. They cautiously approached the bag, and, upon opening it, found only warm clothes and other personal belongings. This caused everyone to breathe a sigh of relief but, meanwhile, a huge crowd had built up, blocking the road.
Sri Krishna Janma Bhoomi, also known as Janmasthan, is one of the most important pilgrimage places in Braj, and consequently, security is particularly vigilant. Nobody is allowed to carry bags or phones into the temple premises and visitors are swiped with metal detectors at the gate.
Visitors to Janma Bhoomi can see the cell in which Sri Krishna was born. The decor is designed to recreate the gloominess of Kamsa’s dungeon. The cell and passageway are small and dimly lit, but, when one looks toward the pictures of baby Krishna, a natural light seems to emanate from the area.
Separate from the dungeon, there is huge temple with friezes of Thakurji’s incarnations and sants covering the walls. One could spend hours trying to have darshan of all of them. On the outside wall of the main temple, it is written that a devotee will never go to any place that doesn’t have a temple.
The temple has a large courtyard with shops selling devotional items and there is a covered, outdoor satsang hall. Not surprisingly, Janmasthan is one of Mathura’s most popular places for darshan.
Amar Ujala reports that, in another incident last week, a female security guard who wanted to go home early closed the woman’s entrance 10 minutes early.
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