‘River Has Swallowed Our Lives’: Lord Krishna’s Sacred City Reels Under Yamuna’s Fury

Last Updated:September 09, 2025, 16:24 IST

From inundated temples in Vrindavan to rising waters lapping the walls of the Taj Mahal in Agra, the river has brought life to a standstill in UP

An aerial view of an area inundated with water of the swollen Yamuna river at Vrindavan in Mathura district. (PTI)

The sacred city of Lord Krishna is reeling under the fury of the Yamuna, which has swollen to levels not witnessed in the past 15 years.

From inundated temples in Vrindavan to rising waters lapping the walls of the Taj Mahal in Agra, the river has brought life to a standstill, displacing thousands and reviving memories of the devastating floods of the late 1970s.

For the past eight days, the Yamuna has been steadily rising, breaching the danger mark on Sunday evening. In Vrindavan, the impact is stark: ghats lie submerged, lanes are waterlogged, and temple parikrama routes are cut off. At least 50 per cent of Vrindavan now lies inundated, a rare occurrence in recent memory.

“It feels like the river has swallowed our lives," said Ramesh Sharma, a resident of Keshi Ghat, who was forced to abandon his house with his family of five. “We had water up to our waists inside our home. My children are scared, and we don’t know when we will return."

The Mathura district administration has swung into action, relocating over 4,200 residents from 21 villages to safer ground. Authorities have also restricted access to the popular Vishram Ghat, a site thronged daily by devotees, now rendered inaccessible by floodwaters.

The river’s surge has reached close to the revered Banke Bihari temple, raising concerns about damage to Vrindavan’s cultural and spiritual heritage.

“Continuous monitoring is underway. Teams from the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and local administration are stationed in low-lying areas. Our immediate priority is to ensure no loss of life," said District Magistrate Shailendra Singh.

At Bateshwar, a temple town downstream, floodwaters have crept two feet deep onto the main road, severely disrupting movement and temple activities.

For pilgrims and priests, the floods have upended the rhythm of devotional life. The daily parikrama around the holy sites is impossible, with the paths submerged. “For years we have performed our morning prayers by the ghats. Today we stood on rooftops watching the Yamuna roar. It is both awe-inspiring and terrifying," said Radheshyam, a priest at Vrindavan’s Radha Vallabh Mandir.

The crisis is not confined to Mathura and Vrindavan. In Agra, the Yamuna has surged dangerously close to iconic monuments. For the first time since 1978, floodwaters have reached the boundary wall of the Taj Mahal, triggering alarm among conservationists.

A video of the river lashing against the monument’s protective walls has gone viral, fuelling debate about the vulnerability of heritage sites to natural calamities.

“The Archaeological Survey of India is closely monitoring the situation. The Taj Mahal itself is secure, but the river’s advance to its walls is unprecedented in recent decades," said an ASI official.

Agra’s Dussehra Ghat is submerged, while waterlogging has crippled the Yamuna Corridor near the fort. The moat surrounding the Agra Fort, officials confirmed, has filled with more than a foot of water due to backflow from an old drain near the water gate.

Relief camps have been set up in schools and community centres, but conditions are far from comfortable. “We have been living in the camp for three days. Food is being provided, but what about our cattle, our homes? Everything is under water," lamented Shanti Devi from a village near Mathura. “We have seen Yamuna rise before, but never like this."

For now, with forecasts of further rain in the upper catchment areas, officials remain wary. “The situation is dynamic. We are prepared for more evacuations if needed," said the District Magistrate.

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