In a setback to the Uttar Pradesh government, the Supreme Court on Monday said it would keep in abeyance its May 15 nod to the ambitious scheme to develop the Shri Banke Bihari Temple Corridor at Vrindavan in Mathura for the benefit of devotees as main stakeholders were not heard.
The Supreme Court has paused the Uttar Pradesh government's Banke Bihari Temple Corridor project. The court expressed concern over the lack of consultation with key stakeholders. It questioned the urgency of the ordinance to take over the temple's management. The court plans to appoint a committee to oversee temple affairs. This committee will include stakeholders and a retired judge.
The Apex court questioned the Uttar Pradesh Government over its Ordinance setting up a trust to manage the Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan, and indicated it would hand over the administration of the religious place to a committee headed by a retired judge.
In November 2023, the Allahabad High Court allowed the state to develop a corridor around the holy shrine to enhance facilities for pilgrims, but restrained it from using money from the bank account of the deity for this.
A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi deprecated the approach of the state government in moving the court in "clandestine manner" and questioned the hurry for enacting an ordinance Uttar Pradesh Shri Bankey Bihari Ji Temple Trust Ordinance, 2025 to take over the management of the ancient temple.The top court said it would appoint a committee headed by a retired high court or district judge to manage the affairs of the temple in the interest of lakhs of devotees besides including the main stakeholders in the managing committee.
The bench told Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj, appearing for the Uttar Pradesh government, "Less said the better. How do you justify the directions passed by the court? The state in the most unfortunate way came to the court in the most clandestine manner without informing the court receiver or stakeholders (members of the family who claimed to be the owner of the temple). Get the directions behind their back and set aside the order of the high court. This is the least thing we expect from the state."
On May 26, the state brought out the Uttar Pradesh Sri Banke Bihari Ji Mandir Nyas Ordinance, 2025, setting up a trust for managing the affairs of the shrine.On May 15, 2025, in 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. The top court also allowed the state government to use the temple funds for buying 5 acres of land around it for the corridor project, but directed that the land proposed to be purchased for this “shall be in the name of the deity/ (temple) trust.”
While presiding over a two-judge bench Monday, Justice Surya Kant asked Additional Solicitor General K M Nataraj, who appeared for the state, “What was the tearing hurry for the Ordinance?”.
While hearing pleas challenging the May 15 order and the Ordinance, the bench, also comprising Justice Joymalya Bagchi, wondered how that order could have come on an interlocutory application when those managing it currently were not party to the hearing. “How do you justify the Court’s direction when they were not a party?” Justice Kant asked.
"Temple funds will have to be utilised for pilgrims, can’t 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,” Justice Kant added.
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