SC Stays Banke Bihari Temple Takeover

Millions of Hindu devotees hold steadfast belief in Sri Vrindavan, the sacred site associated with Lord Krishna. The Shri Banke Bihari Ji temple here embodies this devotion. However, there has been significant controversy surrounding the temple's management and the proposed corridor around it, leading to the matter being brought before the Supreme Court. The Yogi government of Uttar Pradesh aims to entrust the temple's management to competent individuals due to the large influx of devotees. To facilitate this, the state government issued an ordinance to establish a trust for the temple. This decision was made following the Supreme Court's suggestion that a trust board should oversee the temple's management and have authority over the bank accounts in the name of Shri Banke Bihari.

The trust plans to acquire seven acres of land around the temple, with the land being registered under Shri Banke Bihari's name. Following this, the Yogi government announced the creation of a temple trust. Recently, a Supreme Court bench, including Justice Suryakant and Justice Jaymalya Bagchi, considered revising this decision and stated that the ordinance will be suspended until the Allahabad High Court issues a final ruling on the petition related to the temple ordinance. To ensure efficient temple management, the court intends to form a committee led by a retired judge, potentially including members from the disputing Goswami families. The Goswami family, descendants of Goswami Haridas who established the temple in the 16th century, claim personal ownership and currently manage the temple. The state government aims to preserve the temple's historic structure while building a large complex to replace its old premises, ensuring that the millions of annual devotees face no inconvenience. The Goswami family opposes this plan. Essentially, Hindu temples are not private property; the entire community has rights over them, as the temple's income comes indirectly from their offerings. The government believes that to properly accommodate the devotees who have faith in the temple, it is crucial to construct a corridor for easy access for pilgrims to worship or view their preferred deity. With this goal, the state government issued an ordinance.

On Friday, the Supreme Court decided to suspend the ordinance and announced the formation of a high-level committee for management, which will include government officials and representatives from the Goswami families. Justice Suryakant mentioned that he would also overturn a decision made by another bench of the same court in May, which permitted the state government to use temple funds for redevelopment projects. The temple fund reportedly contains hundreds of crores of rupees. The Supreme Court clarified that the petitioners are allowed to contest the ordinance in the Allahabad High Court. For now, the ordinance will remain suspended until the Allahabad High Court delivers its final verdict on its validity. The Goswami families have challenged the ordinance's legality in the Supreme Court. It is important to note that the Banke Bihari form of Lord Krishna is regarded as unique from the Bhakti period to the modern era of Hindi literature.

This bhajan of Krishna devotee Meera,

Mhaaro Pranam Banke Bihari Ji…

This hymn is regarded as a distinctive piece in Indian classical music, performed by the renowned late classical singer Kishori Amonkar. Kishori ji was awarded the Padma Vibhushan by the Indian government in recognition of her musical prowess. Additionally, until a few years ago, the Swami Haridas Music Conference was held in Vrindavan, where Kishori ji frequently attended and performed the hymn Mhaaro Pranam. Furthermore, the story of Goswami Tulsidas, a prominent figure in the Bhakti movement, visiting Vrindavan is widely known. In this tale, Tulsi Das ji is captivated by the enchanting beauty of Banke Bihari ji, yet he remains devoted to Lord Ram, a sentiment expressed in a couplet,

मोर, मुकुट कटि काछनी
भले लगो हों नाथ
तुलसी मस्तक तब झुके
जब धनुष बाण लो हाथ

The dispute concerning the administration of Banke Bihari ji's temple is certainly distressing.