Vrindavan Banke Bihari Temple Corridor: Temple Trustees Approach SC

The trustees of the Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan have filed a petition in Supreme Court regarding the development plan for the Mathura Temple Corridor.

A three-member bench led by Chief Justice of India (CJI) DY Chandrachud will hear the case today (23 January 2023). 

The trustees had expressed their opposition to the administration's plans for the corridor. The argument being that the proposed plan to re-develop the area was going forward without including the Goswamis in the case. 

The Goswamis have been managing the temple for many years. The petition states that their rights are being violated with not giving them a fair chance to be heard. 

Banke Bihari Temple Corridor

The Uttar Pradesh government has pledged to develop a dedicated corridor to ensure smooth movement for devotees from the Yamuna riverfront to the famous Banke Bihari Temple in Mathura.

The corridor aims to increase the capacity from 800 to 5000 devotees at a time. The cost for this project is expected to be around Rs 248 crore. The corridor is further expected to contribute to the redevelopment of surrounding premises. 

The Banke Bihari temple is the most renowned temple in Vrindavan. It is situated 20 kms away from Mathura, a town considered to be the birthplace of Lord Krishna. 

The state government plans to acquire five acres of land surrounding the temple. This area currently includes around 300 residential buildings and shops, and is also the route that devotees take to access the temple.

The proposed corridor will address the issue of managing large numbers of devotees visiting the temple. And will provide a smoother path to it, which currently experiences overcrowding in its narrow lanes. 

The decision for redevelopment also came in after the stampede last year at the temple during Janmashtami. 

The government believes that the corridor is necessary to increase the capacity of the temple and make it more accessible for devotees. A proposal for the corridor was discussed by the UP government in 2022. 

The committee was formed and Allahabad High Court ordered the district administration to submit a development plan. Following this, a survey has been conducted to identify houses and establishments that may need to be resettled. 

The project is expected to be similar in scope to the corridor in Kashi Vishwanath temple in Varanasi.

However, concerns have emerged through the residents and the shopkeepers regarding the incoming transformations through the redevelopment. 

The people who are protesting say that they have been worshipping the deity in their homes for hundreds of years, and their faith will be hurt if those are demolished. 

They are also concerned regarding the residential resettlement and, the shops and livelihoods that will be restructured with the development of the corridor. 

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister, Yogi Adityanath has ensured while planning the corridor, the core structure of the temple and the beliefs and traditions of the devotees will not be affected. It is being reported that the committee has closely followed the guidelines while planning and designing the project.

Lok Sabha MP from Mathura, Hema Malini, stated that the corridor will open the gates for international tourism, facilitating pilgrims to pay their obeisance to the deity without hassle.

Acknowledging the concerns of traders, priests, and residents, she had assured that all stakeholders' interests would be taken into account.

Additionally, the committee has stated that the shops that currently line the chaotic streets will be rebuilt within the dedicated space of the corridor. 

This is to ensure the security of livelihoods of the shopkeepers and to preserve the cultural character of the place.