New Delhi, May 26: The Supreme Court recently held a significant hearing regarding the management and religious practices at the renowned Banke Bihari Temple in Mathura. During the proceedings, the Court instructed the temple management committee to restore traditional religious practices, improve crowd management, and seriously consider the suggestions from the Goswamis for daily operations.
Lawyer Ashwini Upadhyay argued that the temple’s priests, caretakers, and Goswamis have accused the management committee of interfering in religious activities. However, the committee countered in the Supreme Court that it does not interfere with any religious traditions and that all activities continue as before. They also mentioned that the darshan hours have been extended.
Upadhyay pointed out that when the Banke Bihari Temple was established, India’s population was around 180 million, including areas now in Pakistan and Bangladesh. Today, India’s population has surged to approximately 1.45 billion, with millions of devotees visiting the temple. He emphasized that the current darshan system does not provide adequate time for laborers, farmers, and underprivileged devotees.
He proposed that, similar to the Tirupati Balaji Temple and Vaishno Devi Temple, which offer darshan for about 21 hours daily, the Banke Bihari Temple should adopt the same model. He referred to Banke Bihari Temple as the “Tirupati of North India,” noting that devotees travel from far and wide, yet the limited darshan time allows them only a few seconds to glimpse the deity.
The Supreme Court responded to this suggestion by stating that the temple management committee would consider it. The Court also directed the state government to develop a comprehensive plan for the temple and its surroundings, addressing issues such as hospital facilities, accommodation for devotees, road widening, and better access for the elderly.
Advocate Tanvi Upadhyay mentioned that this case was filed last August, challenging an ordinance related to temple management in the Supreme Court. She noted that the Court had ordered the formation of a committee at that time.
Tanvi Upadhyay requested that there be no interference in the temple’s internal religious rituals and traditions. She also pointed out that the selection of committee members was based on a limited number of applications, while a detailed election process was conducted among the two main groups of Goswamis (Shayan Bhog and Raj Bhog).
She argued that representatives elected by the Goswamis should be included in the committee. The Supreme Court, during detailed hearings on this issue, stated that Goswami representatives should be given appropriate representation and that the temple’s internal religious traditions should not be affected.
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