Prayers on banks of flooded Yamuna in Agra

AGRA - Hundreds of Yamuna lovers (bhakts) assembled at the ghats in this Taj city Sunday evening to worship and perform ‘aarti’ to the flooded river flowing majestically to the brim.

All along the river banks, people congregated to watch the rare spectacle of a river in spate. The river, in Agra, is just two inches away from the danger mark of 495 feet and is likely to cross it by Monday morning as heavy discharges from upstream barrages were reported during the day.

Hari Mohan Shrotriya, the priest of the Vaishanavite shrine of Mathuradheesh told IANS: “We want people of Agra to come to the river and pray for restoration of its old glory. Unfortunately despite a fairly long river front from Balkeshwar ghat to Dussehra ghat adjacent to the Taj Mahal, a distance of around 10 km, people have stopped coming to the river because it stinks and is dry for most part of the year.”

Bankey Lal Maheshwari, of the Sri Nathji Nishulk Jal Sewa said: “We want water in the river round the clock and would wish the government take firm and prompt step to build a barrage beyond the Taj.”

The maha aarti and prayers was organised to pray for the health of the river which has been dying a polluted death, Shrotriya said.

This year the annual “Tairaki (swimming) festival” will attract lots of people and will be grand spectacle, as there is plenty of water in the river, he added.

The river banks these days are attracting lots of tourists as well, particularly at the Taj corridor, flanked by the Taj and the Agra Fort.