UP forms trust to oversee Banke Bihari Temple affairs
Agra: Uttar Pradesh governor Anandiben Patel has signed an ordinance to establish the Shri Banke Bihariji Mandir Nyas Trust, which will oversee temple administration, daily rituals, festival arrangements and security, while ensuring worship in accordance with traditions dating back to Swami Haridas, the 16th-century saint credited with founding the temple in Vrindavan.
The decision follows the Supreme Court's approval of the Rs 500 crore Banke Bihari Corridor project, modelled on the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor in Varanasi. While the apex court cleared the corridor project on May 15, it has drawn opposition from residents and members of the temple community, who fear disruption to age-old religious practices. However, the court permitted the state govt to acquire five acres of land around the temple using funds donated by devotees, stipulating that the land is to be purchased in the name of the temple's presiding deity, Shri Banke Bihariji.
A review petition has since been filed in the SC by senior temple administrator Devendra Nath Goswami.
The newly formed trust will focus on upgrading pilgrim amenities. Plans include prasad distribution points, improved facilities for the elderly and differently-abled, potable water, rest areas, computerised entry, queue management kiosks and supporting infrastructure like 'gaushalas' (cow shelters), 'annakshetras' (place where food is distributed), kitchens, guesthouses, exhibition halls and more.
The 18-member trust will comprise seven ex-officio officials and 11 nominated senior members, including two representatives from the temple's Goswami community. Key officials such as the district magistrate, senior superintendent of police of Mathura, the municipal commissioner and the chief executive officer (CEO) of the UP Braj Teerth Vikas Parishad will be among the members. A CEO will also be appointed to oversee daily operations.
Reacting to the development, Gyanendra Goswami, a temple priest and administrator, said, "We were not consulted. It seems like a move to gain control over the temple's funds, meant for the deity, and divert them to the corridor. A petition is already pending in the SC. What was the urgency? How will this trust preserve the temple's long-standing traditions?"
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