In a significant ruling on May 15, the Supreme Court permitted the Uttar Pradesh Government to use funds from the Shri Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan for acquiring five acres of land for a proposed temple corridor.
The Court, however, directed that any land acquired using temple funds must be registered in the name of the temple deity.
A bench comprising Justices Bela M. Trivedi and S.C. Sharma modified an earlier Allahabad High Court order, which had barred the use of temple funds for such purposes. The Supreme Court allowed the use of the temple’s fixed deposits after reviewing the State’s comprehensive ₹500-crore corridor development plan.
“The State of Uttar Pradesh has undertaken to spend over ₹500 crore for the temple corridor development. While the State proposes to use temple funds to purchase the required land — which the High Court had previously disallowed — we now permit the scheme to proceed in its entirety,” the bench observed. “The Banke Bihari Ji Trust holds fixed deposits in the name of the deity. The State may utilise these funds for land acquisition, provided the land is registered in the name of the deity or the Trust,” the Court clarified.
The Court's approval came in light of persistent safety and infrastructure concerns, especially following the tragic stampede at the temple in 2022. The bench took serious note of widespread mismanagement in the temples of the Braj region, stressing that good temple governance is not just a legal necessity but also a matter of public and spiritual well-being.
Justice Sharma, authoring the judgment, referred to the Uttar Pradesh Braj Planning and Development Board Act, 2015, which empowers the State to improve infrastructure around key religious sites. The judgment emphasized that the plan would focus on essential amenities such as toilets, security posts, parking areas, and accommodations for devotees.
The Court also highlighted the urgent need for infrastructural development in Mathura and Vrindavan — two cities of immense religious and historical importance that attract millions of pilgrims annually. To support this influx, the Court noted, there is a pressing requirement for wider roads, parking spaces, dharamshalas, hospitals, and other public facilities.
While acknowledging the ongoing efforts of the Braj Development Board, the bench emphasized that long-term success depends on collaboration among the State government, temple trusts, local residents, and other stakeholders.
“Development cannot be the responsibility of any single entity,” the Court stated. “It must be a joint effort involving the government, trusts, local communities, and various agencies to ensure a spiritually fulfilling and safe pilgrimage.”
The Court also called attention to other prominent religious sites in the region — including the Yamuna River, Kashi Ghat, Vishram Ghat, and Kusum Sarovar — that require conservation and beautification. “These places hold immense religious significance and must be developed in a manner that reflects their sanctity while offering comfort to the lakhs of devotees who visit them,” it noted.
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