After two deaths, Vrindavan temple wary of year-end rush

Six lives have been lost due to overcrowding and suffocation at the Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan. Local authorities attribute the deaths to pre-existing health complications, but devotees are calling for better crowd management and a cap on daily numbers. With a daily average footfall of 50,000 devotees, the temple easily exceeds one lakh on weekends and 5 lakh on festive days. The proposed corridor plan for the temple is facing opposition from traditional priests, residents, and businessmen.