Mathura (UP) | The management of Banke Bihari temple here has advised the elderly and persons with disabilities to avoid visiting the temple during peak hours on Janmashtami amid the likelihood of overcrowding on that day.

Janmashtami - an annual festival that celebrates the birth of Lord Krishna - will be observed on August 26 in all major temples in Mathura and on the night of August 27 in Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan.

The appeal comes after an elderly devotee died of suffocation while leaving the temple after 'aarti' on August 18. Two years ago, on the night of Janmashtami, two women devotees died of suffocation caused by overcrowding during the Mangala Aarti Darshan.

In an advisory, the temple management urged the devotees to avoid bringing children, elderly, persons with disabilities and people with illnesses to the temple during peak hours on that day, citing previous incidents of health issues and fatalities due to overcrowding.

Temple managers Munish Sharma and Umesh Saraswat advised people to wear comfortable footwear, as entry and exit gates are separate.

"Do not wear shoes and slippers as the entry and exit gates of the temple are separate, because once you leave the temple, it will not be possible to go there again to get shoes and slippers," they said.

They also urged devotees to take necessary medications and medical precautions before visiting.