No Contempt in Extending Darshan Hours at Banke Bihari Temple, Says Allahabad High Court

Citing the “huge influx of pilgrims” and the “great hardship” faced by devotees due to crowd congestion, the Allahabad high court has held that the decision to extend darshan timings at the Shri Thakur Banke Bihari Ji Temple in Vrindavan is aimed at easing pressure inside and outside the temple premises, and does not amount to contempt of court.

Court was hearing a contempt application filed by Gaurav Goswami under Section 12 of the Contempt of Courts Act, 1971, seeking action against Justice Ashok Kumar (Retd.) and other members of the High-Powered Temple Management Committee constituted by the Supreme Court for allegedly flouting the high court’s order dated 28 November 2022 passed in Public Interest Litigation No. 1509 of 2022.

The PIL relates to long-standing disputes over the management and upkeep of the Banke Bihari Temple. In those proceedings, the State government had proposed a comprehensive plan for development of the temple area and regulation of its functioning. During the pendency of the PIL, a Civil Judge (Junior Division), Mathura had on 14 November 2022 increased the darshan timings of the temple on the basis of administrative communications between district authorities.

The division bench of the high court, while hearing the PIL on 28 November 2022, stayed the Civil Judge’s order increasing darshan timings. Subsequently, on 15 October 2024, court noted that its earlier directions were being followed and dismissed an intervenor’s application seeking similar relief.

While the PIL remained pending before the high court, related issues reached the Supreme Court of India through Writ Petition (Civil) No. 704 of 2025. Taking note of what it described as administrative deadlock and in-fighting among stakeholders managing the temple, the Supreme Court, by an order dated 8 August 2025, constituted a High-Powered Temple Management Committee to oversee and supervise the day-to-day functioning of the temple, both inside and outside its परिसर, subject to the ultimate outcome of the proceedings before the high court.

The committee was headed by Justice Ashok Kumar (Retd.) and included judicial officers, district authorities, police officials, representatives of the Mathura-Vrindavan Development Authority, and members from both Goswami groups associated with the temple. The Supreme Court empowered the committee to deal with issues incidental to proper functioning of the temple, including crowd management, safety protocols, amenities for pilgrims, and maintenance of public order during peak footfall.

In its meeting held on 11 September 2025, the committee considered several agenda items, including the issue of darshan timings. Agenda No. 7 related to an increase in darshan time in view of the heavy influx of pilgrims. After deliberations, the committee resolved to extend the darshan timings, and an office memorandum giving effect to the decision was issued by the District Magistrate, Mathura on 19 September 2025.

Challenging this decision, Gaurav Goswami argued that the committee’s resolution amounted to a clear violation of the high court’s earlier order staying the Civil Judge’s direction on darshan timings. It was contended that the committee, being an administrative body, could not override a judicial order, particularly when the PIL was still pending.

Rejecting the plea, the bench of Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal held that the committee had acted strictly in accordance with the directions issued by the Supreme Court. Court noted that the apex court had specifically mandated the committee to oversee and supervise the day-to-day functioning of the temple to address the hardship faced by pilgrims due to massive daily footfall.

The high court observed that the increase in darshan timing was undertaken to ease congestion and distress faced by devotees, and could not be said to be a willful disobedience of the 28 November 2022 order. Holding that no case of contempt was made out, the court dismissed the application on 22 January 2026.

The matter relating to the broader scheme for management of the temple continues to remain under consideration before the high court.

Case Title: Gaurav Goswami vs. Mr. Justice Ashok Kumar (Rtd.) and 12 others

Order Date: January 22, 2026

Bench: Justice Rohit Ranjan Agarwal