Supreme Court Intervenes in Banke Bihari Temple Timing Dispute: Tradition vs Management

New Delhi: The Supreme Court issued notice on Monday regarding a petition concerning changes to darshan timings and religious practices at Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh.

A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant remarked while hearing the plea filed by the Goswami community, "After closing the temple at noon, they do not allow the deity to rest even for a minute... they exploit it the most at this time." The Goswami community has traditionally provided priests for the temple.

The court served notices to state and district officials along with the temple's management committee, which had implemented the contested timing changes. The case has been scheduled for hearing in the first week of January.

According to the petitioners, the temple has historically followed seasonal worship schedules, with different timings designated for summer and winter. These schedules are intimately connected with internal rituals, including specific rest periods for the deity.

The petitioners argued that the recent changes have "disrupted essential religious practices," particularly the Dehri puja traditionally performed by the Goswami community. They contended that suspending this ritual for crowd management was "unfounded" since it takes place when the temple is closed to the public.

Senior advocate Shyam Divan, representing the temple priests, emphasized that "Timings are sacrosanct. It has to be maintained." The court responded critically, observing, "You don't let the deity rest... you facilitate people who pay hefty money to perform puja (when the temple is closed)..."

Divan expressed concerns about safety, stating, "We don't want a situation where there is a stampede, etc. That is why there needs to be control. This is not just a timing issue... it is very much tied into the tradition and it is for a purpose and there should be no privileged darshan."

Previously, the Supreme Court had declined to entertain the challenge and established a high-powered committee headed by former Allahabad High Court judge Justice Ashok Kumar to supervise the temple's daily operations.