'Deity not allowed to rest': SC questions paid 'special pujas', issues notice on Banke Bihari temple practices

Early this August, the top court had constituted a High-Powered Committee to supervise the day-to-day functioning of the Banke Bihari Temple.

The Supreme Court, on Monday, criticised the practice of allowing “special pujas” for affluent devotees in exchange for money, observing that such rituals disrupt the designated resting time of the deity.

A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M. Pancholi was hearing a writ petition concerning the Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh. The plea challenges recent changes to the temple’s darshan timings and the suspension of certain religious practices, including the traditional Dehri Puja.

Issuing notice to the Uttar Pradesh government, district authorities, the temple’s management committee, and the High-Powered Committee overseeing the temple, the court listed the matter for further hearing in the first week of January.

Making pointed oral observations during the hearing, the Chief Justice said that practices followed during the temple’s closed hours were a cause for concern.

“After closing the temple at noon, they do not allow the deity to rest even for a minute… this is the time when the deity is exploited the most,” he remarked, referring to allegations that special pujas are conducted for select devotees during this period.

The petition has been filed by members of the Goswami community, from which the temple’s priests are traditionally drawn.

Senior advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for the petitioners, submitted that the temple has historically followed distinct seasonal darshan schedules for summer and winter, which are intrinsically linked to internal rituals and mandatory rest periods for the deity.

“Timings are sacrosanct. They are not merely administrative but rooted in tradition,” Divan told the court. He argued that the revised schedule had disrupted essential religious practices, including Dehri Puja, which is performed by the Goswami community when the temple remains closed to the public. Suspending the ritual on the grounds of crowd management was unjustified, he said, as it does not involve public access.

Divan also stressed that there should be no “privileged or paid darshan” during the deity’s resting time.

While acknowledging concerns relating to crowd control and the risk of stampedes, the bench observed that any directions issued must be practical and capable of strict enforcement. The Chief Justice also noted that mismanagement often disproportionately affects economically weaker sections.

Early this August, the Supreme Court had constituted a High-Powered Committee, headed by former Allahabad High Court judge Justice Ashok Kumar, to supervise the day-to-day functioning of the Banke Bihari Temple. This followed the suspension of a state-appointed committee under the Uttar Pradesh Shri Bankey Bihari Ji Temple Trust Ordinance, 2025. The constitutional validity of the ordinance is currently pending before the Allahabad High Court.

Until a final decision is taken, the Supreme Court-appointed committee will continue to manage the temple’s affairs.