The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Uttar Pradesh government to prepare a holistic development plan for the area around the Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan.
The plan should cover aspects including road widening, regulation of commercial activity, and civic amenities including hotels, dharamshalas, drinking water, restrooms, emergency exits, public transport, and electric vehicles for senior citizens, the bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi directed.
The Court was hearing a challenge to the UP government's move to take over administration of the famed Vrindavan temple through a statutory trust framework.
During the hearing of the matter on Tuesday, Justice Bagchi noted that unlike Tirupati which enjoys a spatial advantage, the Banke Bihari temple sits amid narrow alleys and is a smaller premises, making crowd management far more complex.
CJI Kant urged the State to think out of the box and directed that a specific development plan be prepared and submitted before the court.
During the hearing, the Chief Justice also referred to the history of the temple, noting that the district gazetteer records it as having been built by Sant Haridas.
He recounted that when Mughal emperor Akbar visited the saint in disguise, he was moved by the devotional songs being sung for Lord Krishna and offered to reward him.
Sant Haridas, who was blind, declined anything for himself and instead asked for land for the temple.
"Though he was blind, he knew it, that it was Akbar," the Chief Justice said.
Senior Advocate Shyam Divan, appearing for the Goswami management, argued that darshan timings and the location of the dhairya puja ritual had been altered, disturbing practices followed "since time immemorial."
He also flagged a March 25 order requiring payment of ₹1,51,000 for conducting the Phool Bangla Seva, compared to the earlier practice of recovering only electricity and related expenses.
The Court proceeded to replace the existing Goswami representatives on the committee and nominated four new members, Rajat Goswami and Shailendra Goswami, from the Shayan Bhog group, and Gopesh Goswami and Himanshu Goswami from the Raj Bhog group.
The Bench said their suggestions on preservation of religious practices and day-to-day functioning would receive due consideration from the committee.
The bench also made it clear that the committee's actions should not touch upon the essential religious rituals of the temple.
The petitioners were represented by Senior Advocate Shyam Divan and Advocate Tanvi Dubey.
Additional Solicitor General KM Nataraj appeared for State.
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