Banke Bihari Prakatya Utsav 2023: Prakatyotsav Vihar Panchami of Thakur Banke Bihari will be celebrated in a very grand form on 17th December in Mathura Vrindavan. On this day lakhs of devotees from all over the world will reach Vrindavan. After Vihar Panchami, there is a possibility of a large number of devotees gathering in the last days of the year also. At the end of the year with the Christmas holidays, people come here from far and wide. The temple management has started making special preparations regarding this. On Vihar Panchami, at 5 am in the morning of 17th December, there will be a Mahabhishekam with Panchamrit for the Prakatyotsav of Thakur Banke Bihariji in Nidhivan Raj Temple. After this, Aarti will be performed by the servants of Prakatyasthali. With congratulatory singing by the devotees, the divine and grand procession will leave the temple at 8 am and will reach Banke Bihari Temple at 12 noon while touring the city. Where Swami Haridasji will congratulate Thakurji. Due to the huge crowd gathered on this occasion, the Thakur Banke Bihari Temple management has issued guidelines for the devotees. In this, an appeal has been made not to bring along the elderly, children and disabled people, so that they do not face any kind of problem during the crowd.
Importance of Vihar Panchami
In Mathura Vrindavan, the birth festival of Thakur Banke Bihari is celebrated as Vihar Panchami. Pleased with the spiritual practice of Swami Haridas, Thakur Banke Bihari appeared in Nidhivan located in Vrindavan on the Panchami of Margashirsha Shukla Paksha of Vikram Samvat 1563. Today there is Nidhivan Raj Temple here. The apparition place of Thakur Banke Bihari is still present here. This day is celebrated as Bihar Panchami in Braj. Swami Haridas used to visit Nitya Raas and Nitya Vihar every day in the groves of Nidhivan. Used to sing very beautiful verses. Swami Haridas is said to be the incarnation of Radharani’s friend Lalita Sakhi.
Do not break the rules of entry and exit
According to the guidelines issued by Munish Kumar, manager of Banke Bihari Temple in Mathura Vrindavan, many important advices have been given to the devotees coming to visit Thakur Banke Bihari on Shri Krishna Janmashtami in their interest. The temple management has asked the devotees to enter the temple through the designated entry gate only and after having darshan, go through the exit gate only. The management has advised the visitors not to bring any kind of bag or valuables to the temple. Also cautioned to beware of hooligans and anti-social elements. It has been said in the guidelines to be cautious of pickpockets and mobile thieves inside the temple.
Help sought from police administration, additional security guards will be deployed
Along with this, Banke Bihari manager Munish Sharma has advised the devotees to remove their shoes and slippers and enter the temple only in the shoe houses located at all the entry points of the temple. He said that letters have been sent to the police, administration and municipal corporation seeking help in controlling the crowd. Apart from this, 50 additional security guards will be deployed inside the temple.
Appeal not to bring these people along
Devotees have been warned not to bring small children, elderly, disabled and sick people with them to the temple during the crowd. Many times, the condition of some devotees worsens due to fasting amidst the crowd of devotees and not taking medicines despite doctor’s advice. Many such cases related to women have come to light in the past. In such a guideline, people have been advised to come to the temple only after consulting a doctor and taking medicine, food etc., so that there is no health problem of any kind.