HOLY DIP IN YAMUNA AS POLLUTION STARES

Mathura October 25 (IANS)

 

Undeterred by the stink and high level of pollutants in the water, lakhs of devouts since early Saturday morning have been taking the 'holy dip' on the occasion of Yam Dwitiya, at Yamuna ghats in Mathura and Vrindavan.

 

Police estimated the number could have been more than a lakh. Yam Dwitiya is a special day to appease the god of death Yam Raj and so "it is customary for brothers and sisters to take a bath in Yamuna holding hands. This pleases Yam Raj and Yamuna, said to be brother and sister. Mathura is the only place where you have a temple dedicated to them," explained Acharya Madhukar Chaturvedi.

 

A local panda of Vishram Ghat Jagdish said "pilgrims started arriving at the ghats around 4am Saturday and after taking the ritualistic bath they offered puja samigri, had a darshan at the Yam Raj temple and distributed prasad. "

 

However, the various organisations representing the Brahmin and Chaturvedi samaj, have expressed concern and anger at the failure of the state government to release fresh water in the Yamuna to reduce pollutants. "This being the most important bathing festival in Mathura, the administration had been requested a week in advance to ensure more fresh water was released in the river but they have not bothered," said Raj Kumar Kappu, convener of the Mathur Chaturved Parishad. Pandas said the crowd this year was much bigger and more pilgrims have come from Bihar and West Bengal.

 

Meanwhile, more than 15,000 'parikrama yatris' Friday evening resolved to join any effort or march for fighting pollution in the river. Volunteers of Yamuna Muktikaran Abhiyan and Yamuna Rakshak Dal alongwith other agencies are now gearing up for the November 2 march to Delhi to secure release of water in Yamuna from Hathini Kund barrage in Haryana. "This time it will be a fight to the finish, "aar paar ki ladai." Co-convener Sunil Singh visited the Ghats Friday evening and expressed his alarm at the high level of pollution. Under the leadership of Barsana's patron saint Ramesh Baba, lakhs of activists will join the Yamuna liberation march from November 2, declared Aurangabad's Raj Sharma.  "The whole Braj Mandal from Bateshwar in Agra to Kosi is alarmed at the level of pollution in Yamuna and the declining share of the river water which was being diverted to Haryana and Rajasthan. And this year due to failed monsoon the demand for water through the canal system for farming is high," said Yamuna activist Shravan Kumar Singh.