The Supreme Court has intervened in the protracted administrative stalemate surrounding the Shri Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan, constituting a high-powered committee headed by Justice Ashok Kumar (Retd.), former judge of the Allahabad High Court, to supervise and regulate the temple’s daily functioning and broader development. The order follows repeated management disputes and litigation among the temple’s hereditary Goswami Shebaits, which the Court found had left pilgrims “without any amenities or redress.”
The Division Bench of Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi stayed the operation of provisions in the Uttar Pradesh Shri Bankey Bihari Ji Temple Trust Ordinance, 2025, “only to the extent they granted the State Government powers to constitute a trust for managing the temple’s affairs.” The Court directed that “The constitution of the Shree Bankey Bihar Ji Temple Trust, as defined in Section 3 of the Ordinance and its composition, as contained in Section 5, shall be kept in abeyance till the question of validity of the Ordinance (or any Act in relation thereto subsequently passed by the State Legislature) is finally resolved by the High Court.”
The Bench recorded that despite donations “running into hundreds of crores,” successive managements had failed to provide basic facilities for the large number of devotees. It noted persistent factional disputes among the Goswamis, with ongoing civil suits contributing to “administrative inaction.” The Court held that only an impartial body with the requisite experience could ensure effective oversight.
The Court ordered the formation of a committee comprising, in addition to Justice Ashok Kumar, members such as retired District & Sessions Judge Mukesh Mishra, the District & Sessions Judge, Mathura, the Munsif/Civil Judge, Mathura, the District Magistrate, Mathura, the Senior Superintendent of Police, Mathura, and four Goswami representatives. It clarified that no other Goswami or sevayat would be permitted to interfere in the management, save for performing puja/sewa and offering prasad. The committee is tasked with formulating a plan for the “holistic development” of the temple and its precincts. Land acquisition, if required, may be pursued first through private negotiation, failing which the State is directed to proceed under applicable acquisition laws.
The Court also modified its May 15, 2025 order permitting utilisation of ₹500 crore from temple funds for corridor construction, terming it procedurally deficient since key stakeholders were not heard before its issuance. “To allow substantive directions on a matter of such significance to be issued in collateral proceedings, especially in absentia of the necessary stakeholders, may not be in conformity with procedural fairness and judicial best-practices,” the Bench observed.
The Supreme Court directed that challenges to the Ordinance be pursued before the Allahabad High Court, observing that the High Court has a long history of adjudicating disputes concerning the temple’s administration. It requested the Chief Justice to place the matter before a Division Bench, with the present interim management arrangement to remain in force until final determination. Established in 1864 on land donated by Raja Ratan Singh, the Shri Banke Bihari Temple continues to stand as a revered centre of devotion and cultural heritage, attracting pilgrims from across the globe.
Picture Source :
