Mathura (UP)

More than 6.5 crore devotees from across the country and abroad visited Mathura during the month-long Purushottam Maas, offering prayers at Braj temples and completing various religious circumambulations, officials said.

According to official figures, the maximum number of pilgrims participated in the Braj Chaurasi Kos Parikrama, with around three crore devotees completing the 126-km-long pilgrimage route covering several holy sites of the Braj region.

More than 2.5 crore devotees performed the seven-kosi parikrama of the sacred Govardhan hill, with a large number of local devotees also joining the pilgrimage multiple times.

A significant number of devotees also visited Mathura and Vrindavan for parikrama and temple darshan, while several others travelled to Barsana to seek blessings at the Ladli Ji temple dedicated to Radha Rani.

The Purushottam Maas (Adhik Maas) began on May 17 and concluded on June 15. Officials said such a large gathering within a short span of 30 days put the arrangements made by the district administration and police to the test.

However, barring a few minor incidents, the period passed peacefully, with authorities attributing the successful management of the massive gathering to coordinated efforts by police and administration.

Mathura Superintendent of Police (Rural) Suresh Chand Rawat said more than 6.50 crore devotees visited various religious sites and participated in parikramas in the rural areas of the district alone.

He said the figure was significant compared to previous years, with 9.55 crore devotees visiting Mathura for religious purposes throughout 2025, 8.35 crore in 2024 and 7.90 crore in 2023.

Rawat said around 2.5 crore devotees performed the Govardhan parikrama during the Adhik Maas period, while nearly three crore completed the Braj Chaurasi Kos Parikrama.

He added that Barsana also witnessed a surge of devotees, with around one crore pilgrims participating in the parikrama and visiting the Ladli Ji temple.

To ensure smooth movement and security of the devotees, the Mathura Police deployed additional personnel across pilgrimage routes.

Under the security arrangements, 25 inspectors, 60 sub-inspectors and more than 350 constables were deployed in addition to regular police personnel at crowded locations, the officials said.

Rawat said the police administration was also considering setting up new police outposts and police assistance centres along parikrama routes in view of the increasing number of devotees in the future.

The administration also started preparations for the annual 'Mudiya Poono' fair scheduled around Guru Purnima on July 29, where more than one crore devotees are expected to reach Govardhan within a week to perform the parikrama.

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Mathura District Magistrate Chandra Prakash Singh and Senior Superintendent of Police Shlok Kumar personally inspected arrangements by undertaking parikrama routes, while Agra Divisional Commissioner Nagendra Pratap and Range Deputy Inspector General of Police Shailendra Kumar Pandey also reviewed the situation periodically.