Thakur Sanjeev Krishna ji Maharaj, a member of Sant Samaj in Vrindavan, is thrilled that Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath has spoken about a bhavya mandir in Mathura.
He says it is the “good fortune” of this generation that it is seeing grand temples built rather than destroyed. “Bahut saari aashaein dharm jagat ke logon ki hain… unhe poori kaun karega? Aise logon se toh bilkul apeksha nahin hai jo itr ke karobar se Rs 250 to 300 crore nikaal rahey hain… Mathura ki 5 seat se kamal khilega… adhyatmik position Mathura ko phir milega (Those who are faithful have many aspirations. Who will fulfil them? Can’t expect anything from those making hundreds of crores from their perfume business. The BJP will win all five seats in Mathura…),” he adds.
Mathura has five assembly seats, which the BJP has dominated in the last few elections due to Brahmin, Vaishya and Thakur votes. The SP-RLD combine is eying Jats and Muslims. While a grand temple has set the tone for Mathura, the pitch now appears to have moved to vikas as well as law and order.
A few kilometers away, Govind Pandit questions the need for a grand temple when a bhavya mandir already exists. Sitting on his rooftop overlooking the Shahi Eidgah and Krishna temple, he says, “Doosre mudde zaroori hai, vidhayak ka hamari baat sunna zaroori hai… rozgar, bijli ki samasya hai (Other issues are important too, the legislator must listen to our voices as well. We are facing problems with employment, electricity…).”
The electoral mood in Mathura swings between two views: local anti-incumbency is often spoken about as is Yogi-Modi’s commitment to making Mathura like Ayodhya or Kashi.
Associated with the (Krishna) Janmabhoomi Mukti Nyas, RB Chowdhary is one of those who has gone to court demanding that Shahi Eidgah must make way for a grand temple at the janmasthan or birthplace of Krishna. He feels a grand temple will bring economic benefits to the Muslim community, too, since most Mathura residents depend on religious tourism.
“Everyone in Mathura wants that janmabhoomi be developed. Janmabhoomi Mukti Nyas is the organisation we have floated. We feel the judge is satisfied with our argument… Krishna willing… the decision should be in favour of janmabhoomi and if this decision is made, then janmabhoomi will be grand… even Muslims will benefit from it,” he says.
Mohammed Zubair, owner of Hindustan Hotel across the road from Krishna temple, disagrees. “Mandir toh pehle se hi bhavya hai… koi nahi chahta phasad ho… chunav ka mudda hai rozgar, mehngai. Vikas hona chahiye… Jewar airport ke banne se tourist aayega, fayda usse hoga (The temple is grand already… the issues this time are employment, inflation… there should be development…Jewar airport will bring in tourists and that will benefit us),” he says.
Views in favour of more infrastructural development around Mathura are heard from the hospitality sector as well.
Vaibhav Garg, who owns a hotel in Mathura, says the city loses most of its tourists to twin, Vrindavan. “Jewar airport sirf 50 km door hai Mathura se… uska impact bahut achha hoga par government ko Mathura ke liye bhi kuch karna padega… expressway se yahaan aate aate connectivity toot jaati hai… Vrindavan se log wapas chale jaate hain… Mathura nahi aate. Mathura mein tourist kam se kam 2 din ruke tabhi fayda hai (Jewar airport is just 50 km away from Mathura. It will have a good impact on us but the government has to do something for the city as there are connectivity issues. People return after visiting Vrindavan and don’t come to Mathura. Tourists must stay in Mathura for two days, only then will we reap benefits),” he says.
Also from the hospitality sector, KD Agarwal feels not just Krishna temple but the entire 84 kos parikrama spots such as Gokul, Govardhan among others must be developed with a highway to make Mathura a tourism destination and bring economic benefits to residents.
Guddi Sharma, whose house is in the protected yellow zone of the city where no fresh construction or demolition is allowed, overhears the conversation about “grand redevelopment”. “Mandir banao, masjid banao… jo chahe banao… achha hai… par hamare ghar nahin tootne chahiye (Construct temples or mosques, whatever you like but our homes should not be destroyed),” she says, pointing to Kashi Vishwanath temple corridor project where old structures were acquired and dismantled by the government.
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