The Indore bench of the Madhya Pradesh High Court has clarified that allowing VIP access to the garbhagriha (sanctum sanctorum) of the Mahakaleshwar Temple in Ujjain is entirely within the discretion of the temple administration and the district authorities. The Court declined to intervene in the matter, noting that the term 'VIP' has no legal definition under any statute.
A Division Bench comprising Justice Vivek Rusia and Justice Binod Kumar Dwivedi made these observations while dismissing a Public Interest Litigation filed by Indore resident Darpan Awasthi. The petitioner had contended that select VIPs were being permitted to offer water to the deity inside the sanctum, while ordinary devotees were restricted, alleging arbitrary discrimination by the temple authorities.
The High Court, in its judgment dated August 28, observed that the minutes of the Mahakaleshwar Mandir Managing Committee did not contain any blanket prohibition against entry into the garbhagriha. It stated, “Permission for VIPs to enter the sanctum rests solely with the Collector and the Administrator of the Mahakaleshwar Mandir Management Committee. Determining who qualifies as a VIP on any given day is a matter of administrative discretion and cannot be adjudicated through a writ petition.”
The bench further noted that there is no permanent roster or official protocol identifying VIPs. Any individual granted entry by the competent authority may be treated as a VIP for that specific occasion. This approach, the Court added, aligns with practices followed across religious sites in India.
Additionally, the High Court observed that the petitioner appeared to be personally aggrieved, and therefore, the PIL could not be maintained on the petitioner’s individual grievance.
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