Goverdhan (Uttar Pradesh), July 8 (IANS) Nearly 10 million pilgrims offered prayers and circumambulated the Goverdhan hill in this holy town of Uttar Pradesh as part of the three-day annual Mudiya Poonau fair that culminated with Guru Poornima celebrations Tuesday.
On the last day of the festival, thousands took a dip in the Manasi Ganga, the holy pond in the centre of the 21 km route around the Goverdhan hill. According to Hindu mythology, the hill was lifted by Lord Krishna on his little finger.

Officials said the state roadways had deployed over 1,000 extra buses to ferry pilgrims in and out of Goverdhan. There were also special train services from Agra, Gwalior and Bharatpur for the pilgrims.

However, due to the high number of devotees, many people were seen travelling on the roofs of packed trains.

The three-day event ended Tuesday evening with a procession of Hindu monks of the Gaudiya Sampradaya founded by Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Police said five ascetics who had attacked a police picket Monday after being barred from taking a dip at the restricted Bengali Ghat in Mansi Ganga were sent to jail in Mathura. A police officer who sustained head injuries in the incident was admitted to Agra’s Kamayani hospital.

Authorities said the crowds in Goverdhan would begin to ease only by Wednesday evening. The focus now shifts to Mathura and Vrindavan where thousands of pilgrims will congregate for the Shravan Mas fair.