There have also been protests against the proposed corridor, both from those managing the temple’s affairs as also shopkeepers and business owners who fear loss of livelihood. Reecently UP Power Minister AK Sharma faced a massive protest from the Sewayats who did not let him do ‘darshan’ and pulled the curtain down on the idol as soon as he reached there. Those opposing the Rs 600-crore corridor were prepared with the protest, say those in know of developments, adding that the minister was not even given ‘prasad.’
The Supreme Court on Monday invoked Lord Krishna to whom the Shri Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan is dedicated, while also questioning the Uttar Pradesh government’s “hurry” to bring an ordinance to manage the temple and the proposed redevelopment of a corridor using temple funds.
The case revolves around the management of the decades-old temple and the Adityanath-led state government’s attempt to manage its affairs. There have also been protests against the proposed corridor, both from those managing the temple’s affairs as also the shopkeepers and business owners in the vicinity who fear loss of livelihood.
“Lord Krishna was the first mediator … .please try to mediate the matter,” the court was quoted as saying while proposing a committee to settle the issue. At the same time, it also questioned the “tearing hurry” to pass the Uttar Pradesh Shri Banke Bihari Ji Mandir Nyas Ordinance, 2025 to set up a trust for managing the affairs of the shrine. The constitutional validity of the ordinance has been challenged with petitioners arguing it infringes on the temple’s autonomy as a private religious institution.
While questioning the Government, it indicated handing over the administration to a committee headed by a retired judge.
The issue
Around November 2023, the Allahabad High Court allowed the state to develop a corridor around the temple to enhance facilities for pilgrims, but restrained it from using money from the bank account of the deity for this.
In May 2025, during the course of hearing a matter related to the administration and safety of temples in the Braj region, the SC allowed an interlocutory application filed by the state and allowed it to use the temple funds for buying 5 acres of land around it for the corridor project. However, it directed that the land “shall be in the name of the deity/ (temple) trust.”
On May 26, the state brought out the ordinance for setting up a trust to manage the shrine.
It was in this context that Justice Surya Kant asked Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj, who appeared for the state, “what was the tearing hurry for the ordinance?” as per reports
The state argued that it was a public temple and those who had challenged the ordinance and the May order had no locus standi as they are not part of its management. “…no recognised management committee is there. These are all unauthorised people,” Nataraj was quoted as saying.
Justice Kant said temple funds will have to be utilised for pilgrims and cannot be pocketed by private persons. “If the state wanted to carry out any development, what prevented it from doing so as per the law? Whether land is private or not, that issue can be adjudicated by a court. The state is coming in a clandestine manner, not allowing them to be heard. We don’t expect this… The state should have informed them, in all fairness,” he added.
The bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi orally proposed to withdraw the May 15 judgement in which the SC allowed the state government to use temple funds, as per reports
Banke Bihari temple
The state wants to control and build a corridor to provide basic amenities to pilgrims.
However, calling public amenities state’s “responsibility”, Justice Kant cited the development of the area around the Golden Temple in Amritsar to say “that kind of initiative can be there, instead of using legislative power, etc,” he said.
The Banke Bihari temple is among the most visited pilgrimage sites in northern India and is managed by a hereditary priesthood that oversees daily rituals and temple administration. The demand for redevelopment arose after a stampede-like incident occurred during Janmashtami celebrations in 2022.
The temple has been privately managed by the descendants and followers of Swami Haridas for a long time but internal differences among the sewayats (priests) have also been a longstanding issue.
However, the issue goes way beyond the management of the temple.
Recently UP Power Minister and close confidante of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, AK Sharma, had to face a massive protest from the ‘Sewayats’ of the temple. They did not let him do ‘darshan’ and pulled the curtain down on the idol as soon as he reached there. Those opposing the Rs 600-crore corridor were prepared to protest, say those in know of the developments, adding that the minister was not even given ‘prasad.’
